Family Pride
by poetLaurie
Summary: Ok, first FF, please don't hurt me LOL  Jessie returns home to Round Up Ranch, which may be threatened by an old friend of the family.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Jessie Pride pulled her car down the long gravel lane to her brother's ranch, her heart beating a mile a minute. It had been four years since she left for veterinary school, four years since she had last seen the rolling acres of the Round Up Ranch. She grinned as she put the car into park; Woody was not expecting her for another few days. She wondered where he would be at the early afternoon hour, but as she got out of the car, she did not have to wonder long.

"Hey, howdy, hey!" Her brother's jubilant cry echoed across the yard. In a few moments, Woody had crossed the grass and grabbed Jessie up in a hug, lifting her from the ground. "What are you doin' here?"

Jessie laughed as she was set back on the ground, "I couldn't wait another second to come home. As soon as my last final was done, I was in my car and headed here. Surprised?"

Woody smiled, taking his younger sister by her shoulder, "Am I! Let me get a good look at ya!" His chocolate brown eyes took her in. She was a few inches shorter than him, and still as pixie-thin. Her green eyes were as bright and her freckles as plentiful as they had ever been. She still wore her red hair long, but instead of a single braid, she had two braided pigtails pinned around her head like a wreath. "Glad to see you haven't changed that much. It's so good you're home!"

"Things look the same around here…well, 'cept you. You've definitely aged." She laughed as Woody clapped her on the shoulder. She wrapped her arm affectionately around his waist as he draped his over her shoulders. They were headed back towards the house as Jessie asked the one question still left burning in her mind, "So, was that Buzz's truck I saw in town?"

Woody nodded, "Yeah, he's back from deployment. Should be a long leave, too, which will be good for him. Um, you should probably know he will be over for dinner tonight."

Jessie's voice sounded forcibly light, "Oh, well, that's no problem. I'll just call up Bo and see if she wants to hang out."

Woody stopped, rubbing his hand along his neck, "Yeah, see, she'll be here, too."

"Oh. It's ok, I can find somewhere else to be."

Woody looked down at his sister, "You and he have to face each other sometime, Jess."

Jessie looked away, playing nervously with her pinky finger, "I know, I know. It's just… I dunno."

"So, um, y'know how Bo and I were dating?"

"Yeeeeeees," Jessie gave him a sidelong look.

"Well, we're a bit… further along than that." Woody ducked, and with good reason.

Jessie smacked her brother on his shoulder, repeating the action after every word, "How…could…you…not…tell…me…something…that…importan t?!"

Woody backed away, holding up his hands in surrender, laughing, "Hey, easy, easy! She made me swear to keep it a secret! She wanted to surprise you with it this weekend, when we _thought_ you'd be just getting home!"

Jessie glared at her brother, all the while grinning with delight, "Just wait 'til I see her tonight! Oh she's in for a shock, all right! Seriously, Woody, that is great news!" She grabbed her brother in a hug.

Woody exhaled in relief, "I don't know if I can handle all of these secrets! At least I don't think Bo will attack me as viciously. Hey, don't you have luggage or something we should bring in?"

"Oh, yeah. And if I'm going to surprise Bo, I better find a place to hide my car. Have you kicked me out of my old room?"

Woody shook his head, "Nope, it's just the way you left it…a complete and utter disaster area." He laughed, ducking another smack and running towards Jessie's car.

* * *

Jessie tossed the last bag onto the floor and flopped down on to her bed. Despite Woody's claim, her room was tidy, with the same pale blue walls. She looked around, feeling like she had stepped back four years. After she graduated from college, she announced her decision to attend veterinary school. That came as no shock to anyone; it was the location that set off the bombshell. Jessie had been accepted at a school in South Carolina, far away from their farm in Oklahoma. Woody and Bo had been more than supportive, but things with Buzz did not go so well. As soon as Woody and Bo had left for a walk, Buzz began hurling questions at her. Jessie closed her eyes, remembering that evening.

"_What do you mean South Carolina? How can you just up and leave so easily?"_

_Jessie's hands flew to her hips, "Oh, this from you? Give me a break, Buzz! You enlisted right out of high school, you just couldn't wait to be part of Star Command. And who has always been the one dreaming of going to far off places? Let me think… oh right, YOU!"_

"_So what? I still call this town home. Wasn't going to college in another state enough, now you have to run away again?"_

"_Run away? From what am I supposed to be running away?"_

_Buzz paced back and forth, "I don't know. But nothing about this town has seemed enough for you lately. I mean, you just came back and now you're leaving in a few weeks?"_

_Jessie folded her arms across her chest, "Ok, again, YOU making this argument just isn't going to hold water. I love this town, but this is one of the best schools in the country, and they accepted me! Do you even know how hard it is to get into vet school?! And I'm supposed to just decline the offer, and stay here? For no particular reason at all?"_

"_So I'm not a reason for you to stay, is that what you're saying?" Buzz's blue eyes were as cold as steel._

"_No, I am not saying that, although the way you're acting now…Buzz you are NEVER home anymore! And now you're being shipped off to some mission God knows where! You want me to stay here on the ranch but meanwhile you feel no conflict in darting off at the drop of a hat. Do you not even think of what could happen to you? Buzz, you could be killed doing this! But you love that, don't you? You love the danger, the glory of it. Don't you dare talk to me about not being considerate when you clearly don't give a damn about…"_

"_ENOUGH!" Buzz's shout silenced Jessie. "I am doing what I do because that is my job, regardless of how I feel about it. You running off to South Carolina for school is just… you being a selfish brat."_

_Jessie stared at the man before her. She and Buzz grew up together; he was always over at the house, hanging out with Woody, including her in their games. When she was in high school, they began dating and it seemed as if nothing could ever separate them. Now it all seemed to be crumbling around them. Jessie bit her lip, thinking before opening her mouth again, "You think I'm a selfish brat for following my dream, just as you have always pursued yours? Buzz, I have wanted to be a vet since I was little; you KNOW that! Grandpa left me money just so I could go after what I love to do. Now, I don't know why you're suddenly so against it, but I am going, and maybe it's just as well. It seems we have said all we have to say to each other." She turned to walk back in to the house. She paused, looking back over her shoulder, "Listen, be safe on your mission, ok? Woody would be lost without his best friend." With that, she turned and walked through the door and headed up to her room, mustering all of her self-control to keep the tears at bay until she was alone._

A soft knock on her door frame brought Jessie back to the present. "Jessie?"

She pushed herself into a seated position, "Thought you said this place was a disaster area," she grinned at Woody. "What's up?"

'You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. It's a long drive." She gave him a lopsided smile, "Tryin' to muster up the energy to unpack all of this stuff." She nudged one of the bags with her toe.

"Aw, leave it 'til tomorrow. Anyways, Bo is going to be here in about fifteen minutes. Thought I should give you ample time to hatch whatever devious plan you intend to unleash upon my poor girl."

Jessie laughed, "Don't worry, brother dear. I don't plan on scaring her _too_ badly. I better change, though; I feel like part of my car." After Woody left, Jessie rummaged through a suitcase, finding a clean pair of jeans and a summery yellow top with small red flowers. She checked her hair to make sure her braids were in place, and she heard the kitchen door open and Bo greet Woody. With an impish grin, she crept down the stairs, letting Bo have a few moments alone with her brother. She leaned against the doorframe, unnoticed by either of them, before walking up and tapping Bo on the shoulder, "What's goin' on in here?"

The young blonde woman jumped and gave a yell of surprise at the sight of the red-head. Jessie laughed and caught Bo in a warm hug, "Surprised?"

Bo laughed, returning the hug, "Of course! When did you get in, Woody said you weren't going to be home until the weekend!" She rounded on the cowboy, "Did you lie to me, Woody Pride?"

Jessie rushed to her brother's defense, "No, no. He was just as surprised as you were. I couldn't stand to be away any longer, and I didn't need to attend the graduation ceremony anyway. Soon as I was done finals, I was in my car. Anything new with you?"

Bo blushed deeply, "No, no, nothing at all. Why d'you ask?"

Jessie laughed, poking her best friend in her arm, "I would have thought my brother would have proposed to you by now. Y'mean he hasn't and you're still sticking around?"

"Well," Bo looked somewhat demure, "actually…"

"Jessie?" a familiar but hesitant voice came from the kitchen door.

Jessie looked up and felt her heart rate speed up. In the doorway stood Buzz Lightyear, looking not much different from the last time she saw him. His light brown hair was slicked back on his head, and he was still as fit as ever with his broad shoulders and chiseled jaw. Jessie affected as best a smile as she could, "Hey, Buzz."

Buzz looked as nervous as she felt, "Didn't know you were back already. Thought it was…"

"This weekend, yeah, I know." There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. "You can come in, if you want, you know."

"Oh, right. Yeah." Buzz came inside, handing Woody a six pack of beer, "My turn, remember?"

Woody smiled, grasping his best friend's shoulder, "Always good to see you, Buzz, especially when your hands are full." He noticed Bo steering Jessie into the living room, and dropped his voice, "You gonna be ok with this? I didn't know she was going to be back today."

Buzz swallowed hard, "Yeah, I mean what's the difference between now and a few days from now, right? Is she… is she still mad about…?"

Woody shrugged, "Dunno, we haven't talked about it. You're both different people now, Buzz. Just relax, okay? Come on, have a beer, and let's go join the girls."

Buzz nodded, taking a bottle from Woody. Seeing Jessie brought back so many memories, and he cringed to think about their parting. _Best you can hope for, Lightyear, is to strike up friendship. For all you know, she's gone and gotten engaged._ Buzz sighed, squared his shoulders, and followed Woody into the living room, where the sound of Jessie and Bo's laughter brought a small smile to his face.

After some slightly strained conversation, Bo asked Jessie to help her get dinner ready. Jessie followed readily. She was tossing the salad as Bo asked, "It's hard, I guess, seeing Buzz?"

Jessie nodded, "I just don't know what to say or expect. I'm walkin' on eggshells, and prob'ly for no reason at all. For all I know, he doesn't even think about me, and I'm makin' a mountain out of a molehill."

Bo smiled, "I wouldn't say that, Jessie. We've been around him for a while now, and I think, and this might be just woman's intuition, but I think he probably is uneasy about things as you are. Maybe you should just talk to each other?"

Jessie shrugged, "You have always been a hopeless romantic, Bo, God love ya for it. But I can't say as I share in your optimism. Come on, we'd better get dinner on the table before those two start getting restless."

Dinner was a more comfortable affair, whether because Jessie was so glad to be back with her family or the few beers Buzz had to drink, it was hard to say. Jessie waited for a lull in the conversation as Woody leaned back, resting a hand on his stomach. She cleared her throat, "So, um, I have an announcement."

All eyes turned towards her, although Buzz's reluctantly so. Jessie smiled, "I…. have a job!"

Bo clapped her hands, "That's great, Jess!"

"Where?" Buzz's one word question spoke volumes and almost caused Jessie to flinch.

Jessie played with her pinky finger, "In town, actually. I spoke with Slink, to see if he could use help down at the vet office. Well, you know how he is, and so I am now a part time tech, so he can keep the office open even if he's out making a house call." She smiled sheepishly.

Woody nodded, "That's perfect! But why only part time?"

"Well, I figured you'll be needin' help around here, too. Gotta pull my weight around here, somehow."

Woody stood and circled the table to hug his sister, "I'll take you as a hired hand any day. Buzz, care to give me a hand with the dishes? Only fair," he grinned at Jessie, "since you girls did the cookin'."

Bo and Jessie sat at the table and caught up as the sound of running water and the clinking of dishes wafted in from the kitchen. Jessie filled in Bo about South Carolina, the ocean, the things she loved and hated about veterinary school. In turn, Jessie learned about the latest news on her friends and the town, that Bo worked at Hamm's diner, and finally Bo confessed to her engagement to Woody, showing off the delicate ring with a blush.

Jessie laughed and hugged her friend, "I am so excited for you. You two are good for each other, you know."

"Naturally I expect you to be my maid of honor."

"Naturally. And I will be, unless you intend me to wear some frilly, pink monstrosity and then we're gonna have words."

Bo laughed. "You don't have a thing to worry about. I wouldn't dream of trying to dress _you_ in pink, not since you almost laid me out back when we were little."

Jessie laughed at the memory, "Sure threw a fit, didn't I? Be right back, 'k?"

* * *

Jessie wiped her still-wet hands on her jeans as she came back from the powder room, but Bo was no longer in the dining room. "Bo?" Jessie checked the downstairs, and finally looked out on the front porch. Neither Bo nor Woody were there, but Buzz was sitting on the porch swing.

He saw Jessie and hastily stood up, "Hey. I think Woody and Bo went for a walk, and I thought you might have been with them."

Jessie shook her head, "No, seems they snuck out on us."

Another of many awkward silences followed, neither of them looking at the other. Finally the silence was simultaneously broken by both.

"Jessie…"

"Buzz…" Jessie looked at Buzz and finally laughed sheepishly as Buzz chuckled. "Sorry, you go."

"I just…I just wanted to say that it's good to see you; I'm glad you're back home."

"Oh, thanks. Listen, Buzz… the things I said to you before I left…I'm sorry. I was hurt, confused, and…"

"No, it's ok, Jess. I'm sorry, too. I wasn't at my best, either, and I've regretted our parting ever since."

Jessie felt a hopeful flutter in her heart, "So… can we be friends? I'd really like to be friends again."

Buzz smiled and the tension in his body relaxed, "I'd really like that, too."

Woody and Bo came around the corner of the barn, arm in arm, and could see Buzz and Jessie talking on the porch: Jessie stretched across the swing and Buzz sitting on the railing. Woody looked down at Bo and gave her a relieved smile. He leaned down, kissing her cheek, "Maybe things won't be as bad as they seemed," he whispered in her ear.

Bo smiled up at her fiancé, "Let's hope." She leaned her head against his arm as they continued on to the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jessie woke up the following morning shortly after dawn. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and smiled, stretching her arms. Woody and Bo had joined her and Buzz on the porch and the quartet enjoyed talking late into the night. As he left, Buzz had opened his mouth, and Jessie thought he was going to say something, but instead he smiled and just touched her shoulder lightly, nodding his head in farewell. She didn't have long to think about it, before Bo left, inviting her for coffee that Thursday. Thinking back to Buzz's gesture, Jessie's smile slipped. What did he mean by it? And what was it he almost said? With an impatient noise, Jessie cast the questions from her mind as she threw her sheet aside and got out of bed. She showered quickly, throwing on an old t-shirt and pair of jeans. After spending five minutes finding her boots, she headed to the kitchen.

Woody was already out in the fields, but he had left her a note: _Hey, sleepyhead. Out in the pasture, so grab some breakfast and come on out. – Woody_. Jessie quickly downed a bowl of cereal, and headed out towards the barn. As she walked through the doors, she closed her eyes, breathing in the smell of the hay and horses. "God, I have missed that smell." She walked to one of the stalls, glad to see her favorite horse was there, "Howdy, Bullseye! Miss me?"

The horse whickered and nudged his nose against her hands, "I guess so! Come on, let's go find Woody." She found her brother in one of the farther pastures, working with the cattle. She waited by the fence for him.

"There you are! Sun's been up for a while, you know," he winked at her. "Cows are all fed, so c'mon, I will show you the new fields and the horses." They spent the rest of the morning into early afternoon tending the fields and Jessie superficially examined the calves.

"They're all in great condition, Woody! And the horses I saw look well, too. Granpa and Dad would be so proud of you and how you're running the ranch."

Woody colored slightly, "Thanks, sis. Come on, let's head back inside. We could probably both stand to wash up, and you can help me with lunch. Race ya!" He tugged the reins on his horse, sending it off in a gallop.

"Hey! C'mon Bullseye, we'll show him. Ride like the wind!" She took off after Woody, overtaking him just before they got to the barn.

Jessie splashed some cold water on her face before helping Woody get lunch on the table. As they ate, Woody showed her the schedules for the feed delivery, the daily workloads, and the changes he had made since she had been away. She looked at her brother fondly, the love he had for animals and the land so evident, even as he talked time tables and finances.

Woody stood up, "I better get back out to the barn. There should be a delivery in a few hours, and I need to get some things organized so that there is room."

Jessie took his plate, "I'll take care of the dishes, then I'm going to unpack my stuff. When the feed truck gets here, I will come help you unload, deal?"

Woody smiled, "Sounds great. Have I told you how great it is having you back? Speaking of, you and Buzz… things seemed to get patched up last night. You guys good?"

Jessie colored a little and shrugged, "I guess. We both feel silly about things, and at least he wants to stay friends."

Woody nodded, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Just take it a day at a time, okay? But for what it's worth, he was just as anxious as you were last night. And I think he is glad that you're back." Woody left those words hanging in the air as he headed out of the kitchen door.

Jessie hauled her two garbage bags worth of clothes down to the back porch. _I'll drop those off in town tomorrow_, she thought as she walked up to the barn. She didn't see any sign of Woody, so she cupped her hand around her mouth, "Yode-lay-hee-hoo!".

Woody smiled, hearing his sister's familiar call, "Up here in the loft!"

Jessie climbed up the ladder and grinned, hearing the strains of Benny Goodman drifting from the radio, "Still listenin' to this old stuff, huh? Whatcha readin'?" She peered over her brother's shoulder and saw a veterinary book on cattle.

Woody shrugged, "Bonnie hasn't been eating for a few days, and she's been kind of kicking at her belly."

Jessie scanned through the passage, "Slink been out yet?"

He shook his head, "No, it's only the second day she's been like this."

"She in the exam stall? I'll take a look."

"Yeah, she's down in the back of the barn. D'ya mind?"

Jessie laughed on her way down the ladder, "And let all of that money I spent on school go to waste?"

Buzz walked through the open barn door, and was about to call for Woody when he heard Jessie's voice murmuring softly from the other end of the barn. He walked down and saw her behind one of the cows, wearing a long rubber apron and a long glove that covered her right arm up to the elbow. The brown animal made a distressed noise, and Buzz watched as Jessie gently stroked her flank with an ungloved hand, "I know, sweetheart, I wouldn't want this stuck in me either. We're almost done."

Buzz moved into the stall, "Hey."

Jessie looked up, her face brightening, "Hey, yourself. What are you doin' here?"

"I've been helping Woody unloading the feed truck lately. I see the truck's running right on time and late as usual. What are you doing?"

Jessie pulled the thermometer from the cow's back end, giving the animal a gentle pat on the rump, "Woody said Bonnie here's been acting a little strangely, not eating. Hmmm, temperature seems normal. I can't tell here if she's suffering from colic or if there's a bowel obstruction. Hand me one of those plastic jars, would you please?"

"Oh, s-sure," watching Jessie work was strangely beautiful to Buzz. He handed her the jar, "What's this for?"

"If you could unscrew the lid, I'll show you," she smiled. "Thanks. See, if she has a small bowel obstruction, there will be blood in her stools, and so I need a sample." As if listening, Bonnie provided the specimen. Jessie held out her hand for the lid, and screwed it on tightly. She walked over to the nearby bench, peeling her glove off and discarding it as she did. She jotted down a few pieces of information on a label, affixing it to the container before storing it in a small fridge marked "NOT FOR FOOD". She smiled at Buzz as she untied the apron, "I'll drop that off to Slink in the morning, have him test for blood, maybe run a few other tests to rule out any bacterial infection. He may need to get her for an abdominal ultrasound to really address the problem. Help me get her back to her sick pen?"

Together they secured the cow into a special pen to keep her isolated. Jessie secured the lock and nodded towards the ladder, "Woody's up here. Comin' up!" she called to her brother.

"Find anything wrong with Bonnie?"

"Temp is normal, but I got a sample for Slink. Did find something weird with her, though."

Woody looked up as Jessie stepped onto the floor of the loft, "What was that?"

Jessie jerked her thumb to Buzz as his head appeared through the opening, "Him."

Woody laughed, "Nice. Hey, Buzz. Thanks for being on time; sorry the truck's late, again."

Their voices faded into the background as Jessie stared at a hay-filled corner of the loft. She started when Woody tapped her on the shoulder, "Earth to Jessie! You were a hundred miles away!"

She laughed, "I was just thinking about all of the adventures we had up here when we were little."

Woody grinned, "Evil Doctor Porkchop?"

Buzz chimed in, "Don't forget One-Eyed Bart."

Jessie grinned, "And those poor orphans… such fates they suffered at our hands. Let's see, their orphanage was set on fire, all of their food was stolen, oh and let's not forget the good ol' standby of being on a train doomed to cross a bridge only recently blown to smithereens."

Woody laughed with her at the memory, "Yeah but the trusty Sheriff and his deputy always saved the day."

Buzz scoffed, "Only with the help of the intergalactic ranger! As I recall, the cowboy never could keep that train from falling off the bridge…"

Woody's eyes narrowed, "You got somethin' to say about the sheriff?"

Buzz's blue eyes twinkled, "Maybe."

Woody's hand twitched, as if over a gun holster, "Why you yellow-bellied…"

Jessie cut in, stepping between the two, "Boys, boys… there is a lady present!"

Woody's eyes widened, "Not you, y'mean?"

Jessie laughed, "Of course not _me_, silly. But you don't want to offend the delicate ears of Mrs. Nesbitt here, d'ya?"

Woody roared with laughter as Buzz turned a delicate shade of crimson. As kids, Bo was not one for the rough-and-tumble games of the others. They always made sure to play at least one game she would like, and one rainy day they had a tea party. Much to Buzz's chagrin, he ended up wearing pink apron, emblazoned with a red heart on the chest, and trimmed with matching pink lace, and a blue hat with a large white daisy on it.

Buzz glared at the two siblings, "Can't you two ever forget that? Besides, at least my apron wasn't as bad as that frilly pink THING she made you wear, Princess."

Jessie grinned, "Hey, I'm supposed to wear pink at least, since I'm a girl."

Buzz smirked, "Sometimes I wonder! Although you sure fight like one."

Jessie stopped laughing, her right eyebrow arching as she looked at Buzz, "Really?" With a playful growl she leapt at Buzz, knocking him to the floor. As kids, she wrestled him to the ground easily. As adults, it was less easy, but she still managed, straddling his waist, and pinning an arm against his back. She placed her other hand between his shoulder blades and leaned down, "How's _that_ for fightin' like a girl?"

From below a voice called, "Mr. Pride?" Jessie was off of Buzz in a flash, and headed down the ladder. She looked back at him, tossed her red braid, and Buzz could hear her greet the delivery man sweetly.

Woody chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his friend massage his shoulder. He clapped him on his arm as they both headed to the ladder, "Great to have her home, isn't it?"

Buzz chuckled, "I hope I can survive it!"

Jessie threw her last feed sack on to the pile and groaned as she flopped down.

Woody wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, "Forget how much you love that chore?"

She laughed, "Yes, if you can believe it. I think I'll schedule myself at the vet office whenever this comes 'round again. All I want right now is a hot bath."

"What about dinner?"

Jessie groaned at the thought of having to move enough to cook, "Buzz, you handle it."

The third member of the exhausted trio looked up, "Ok, Woody, you're in charge of dinner."

Woody looked helpless, "Oh sure, gang up on me! Tell ya what, how about we call out for some cheap Chinese takeout?"

Jessie hummed, "Sounds good. Bo joining in?"

"No, it's her night to close the diner."

Jessie nodded, feeling more exhausted as the minutes passed, "Buzz?"

"Mmm, wait, what?" Buzz had been leaning back against the wall, his eyes closed. His name roused him from the tired stupor, "Sorry, what?"

Jessie chuckled, "Some trio we make… we must be getting old. Are you staying for dinner?"

Buzz looked surprised, "Oh! Sure, if you guys don't mind. I haven't got any other plans."

Woody shrugged and stood, brushing off his jeans, "Fine by me." He held out his hand to Jessie, who took it and was pulled to her feet with a groan. Woody made the same offer to Buzz, who refused, pushing himself lightly off the wall, standing next to Jessie. "What are you in the mood for?"

"General Tso's is always good for me."

Woody looked at his sister, but Jessie shook her head, "You know my favorite. I am going to go soak in the tub while you boys take care of dinner. If I'm gone for more than a few hours, come pound on the door." She looked down at her feet, "Oh shoot, hang on." She bent down to brush dirt clumps from her boot. She stood up, arching her back a little, "That's better. Shall we?"

Buzz and Woody made to follow her, but quickly found themselves on the ground and Jessie giggled maniacally. They both looked down and saw that Jessie had tied their laces together, and not her own. Buzz gave her a mock scowl, Woody as stern a look as he could muster, which only made her giggle more. She bent down, "Honestly, how long are you two gonna fall for that one? Race you to the house!" She took off running at a speed that belied her aching muscles.

Buzz and Woody looked at each other and just laughed, setting to work untying their laces. Woody grinned, "What was that you said earlier about surviving? I may have to come live with you!"

"Hey Jess! Dinner!" Woody called up the stairs.

"'Kay!" Jessie called down from the bathroom. Within minutes she was dressed and joined the boys in the kitchen.

They dug in to their food hungrily at the kitchen table, laughing and reminiscing of times gone by. Woody stood to refill his glass when the phone rang, "Hello? This is he. I'm sorry, who? Uh-huh. Well, I'm very sorry, but Mr. Peters has been misinformed. The ranch is not up for sale, and I do not plan on putting it up for sale. Yes, you have a good evening, too."

Jessie raised her eyebrows, "What in the sam-hill was that about?"

Woody shook his head, "Someone calling on behalf of a Mr. Peters. Seems he thought I was selling the place; not sure where he got that idea."

Jessie pulled her lower lip thoughtfully, "Peters…Peters…that name familiar to you, Buzz?"

"Nope, don't think so. Why? Do you think you know him?"

Jessie frowned and shook her head, "I'm not sure. It feels like I should, but I don't know why." She let out a short laugh, looking at her brother, "Imagine anyone thinking you'd put this place up for sale. He must not know you at all!"

After dinner was over, Buzz excused himself to go home, but not before Jessie coerced him into helping her carry the clothes-stuffed garbage bags to her car. She shut the trunk with a hefty push, the bags putting up a fair fight. "Phew!" she grinned at her friend, "Those bags made the feed sacks feel light! Thanks, Buzz."

He smiled, "Anytime, you know that. Want to grab a cup of coffee in the morning?"

"Oh, I can't. Bo already nabbed me for that. Raincheck?"

Buzz reached over, gently pulling a stray leaf from her hair, "Absolutely. You know how to reach me. G'night, Jess." He bent down, pecking her softly on the cheek before walking to his truck.

She stared after him, "Night," she said absently. She gave herself a little shake and muttered, "Boys," a soft smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

a two chapter update! Why? Because I already had these written before I started back at Chapter 1 :) Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Woody came downstairs in the pre-dawn hour, surprised to see Jessie already up, dressed, with a mug of coffee in hand. "Hey, sis! Didn't expect to see you."

She smiled, "I never have been able to break the early-to-rise habit. Thought I'd see if you needed my help this morning."

He shook his head as he helped himself to a mug of his own, "Nah, I'm good. Go on back to bed, if ya want."

Jessie laughed, "After this brew? Not likely. I'm going to go for a run."

Woody raised an eyebrow, "A run?"

She grinned sheepishly, "Yeah. I was always up earlier than anyone else at school, so I started running. It's nice, actually; gives a girl a chance to clear her head, to think."

Woody grinned, "So you won't be gone long, then."

"Oh har-dee-har-har," she rinsed out her empty mug and dropped a kiss on her brother's forehead. "I'll be back in a little. Behave yourself, huh?" She caught his wink as she walked out of the back door.

The morning air was deceptively cool, Jessie knew, as if hiding the intense heat that would show up within a few hours of the sunrise. She took off running down their lane, the rhythmic pounding of her feet on pavement provided a cadence for her thoughts, most of which swirled around Buzz. Once they had both apologized for that distant evening, Jessie found it easy to fall into step with him again. She was working hard to keep her guard up, to keep from accidentally stepping into territory that, while not uncharted, was not somewhere Jessie meant to trod without invitation. He seemed, too, to find it easy to strike things up as if no time, no arguments, has passed between them. And then he would do small things, look at her in certain ways that threw her off balance every time. What was he expecting? For that matter, what was she expecting? _Ugh, it's enough to make a girl just stick to tending horses and cows._ As Jessie returned home, she noticed a dark car at the end of their driveway. She caught a glimpse of sunglasses in the driver's side mirror before the car drove up the road. She shrugged, heading back to the kitchen to get a drink of water.

As she entered the kitchen, she was surprised to find Woody still there. Her brow furrowed when she saw his face, "Woody? What is it?"

He couldn't keep the concern from his brown eyes, "Jess, did you see anything strange on your run? Notice anyone?"

She shook her head as she gulped down the water, "Not except a car at the end of the driveway just as I got back. Why?"

Woody looked thoughtful, shook his head a little, and smiled, "No reason, probably just me overreacting."

She raised an eyebrow, "You are going to tell me what you're talking about, right? Because you know you're a terrible liar. You ask me all of these weird questions, you look like you have seen a ghost… and you think I'm going to believe that it's all for no reason? "

"I just had a phone call, another one of Mr. Peters' associates. Same deal: he wants to make an offer to purchase the ranch. It was just… they ended the phone call with a statement about you and how you shouldn't be out jogging on these deserted country roads all by yourself. It wasn't a threat, and yet…"

She reached out, resting a reassuring hand on Woody's arm, "I'm sure it wasn't meant as a threat. They probably have a point, and I just take it for granted that nothing will happen because how long have I known this place? Don't worry about it, okay? I'm going to go grab a shower and then I'll take that sample to Slink's. Any messages for Bo, when I see her?"

Woody smiled, patting his sister's hand as it rested on his arm, "You're probably right. And just tell her that I'll call her later. Have fun in town." He left the room, heading up to the barn, but Jessie could tell he was still thinking about the phone call.

* * *

"Thanks for the coffee, Bo!" Jessie called as she left the diner. She crossed the street hurriedly, in spite of the distinct lack of traffic. She was mentally running over her "To Do" list, oblivious to all else.

"Hey there, good lookin'," drawled a voice.

Jessie looked up and grinned. Buzz had pulled his truck over to the curb. She leaned in the open passenger window, "Hey, yourself. Goin' my way?"

"I hope so! You have any plans right now?"

She nodded her head, grinned, and ticked off her list on her fingers, "Oh you know, the usual: wash my hair… wash my horse's hair…going to give me a better offer?"

"Yup. Hop in."

Jessie gladly climbed into the cab of the truck. Buzz pulled away from the curb and headed out of the small town, "So where are we going?"

"Can't tell you. It's a surprise, so you need to shut your eyes."

Jessie laughed, looking at Buzz incredulously, "You're pulling my leg."

"Nope, but I can do that, too, if you like. In all seriousness, would you?" Buzz looked at her earnestly.

"I…I guess," she smiled a little. "Is it far away?"

"Not too far. I promise not to tell anyone if you fall asleep and snore," he added with a grin.

Jessie laughed and cuffed him lightly on his arm, "All right, that's enough out of you. Just let me know when I can open them."

After a short while, Jessie felt the car come to a stop. "We there?"

"Nope, keep 'em closed. I'm going to come around to your side and get you out of the truck. We still have a little ways to walk."

"Walk? You gotta be…" Jessie's eyes fluttered as if to open, but Buzz anticipated this and had his hand clamped over them.

"Just trust me, okay?" He fought hard to keep from laughing, knowing as he did how Jessie never was good at dealing with impatience or taming her curiosity.

Jessie found it hard to keep her eyes closed as Buzz released her seatbelt. She didn't want to ruin his surprise, so she closed her eyes tightly. Buzz took her hands and she felt her feet land on soft ground. They walked for about five minutes before Jessie felt things brushing against her arm. "Buzz?"

"It's ok, we're almost there…. Okay, you can open your eyes."

Jessie blinked a few times and took in an awed breath as she found herself surrounded by tall sunflowers. She turned a slow circle, taking in the beauty of the spot. Set in the middle of the field was a clear spot where a large hammock swung between two large trees. The only sound Jessie could hear was that of the soft wind as it darted amongst the bobbing flowers. She looked at Buzz, "Where did you find this place?"

"It's mine, actually. When Gramps left me his house, I sold most of the land, all except for this portion. I had help planting all of the sunflowers. I like to come here when I need to unwind or just think about everything or nothing. This became kind of my refuge when you left for South Carolina. I hoped I would get to show you this place."

Jessie wrapped her arms around Buzz's waist. "It's beautiful," she whispered.

He hugged her back, "I'll write directions for you, so any time you want it, it's yours. Come on, the hammock's really comfortable." He took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

Jessie let Buzz climb into the hammock before doing likewise. She laid beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, the back of her left hand settling on his chest, and one leg dangling over the hammock's edge. Her eyes closed and she just listened to the wind for several minutes. "Buzz?"

"Mmmm?" came the drowsy reply.

"Thanks." Buzz took her left hand and kissed it, holding it against his chest. She let out a contented sigh and drifted off to sleep as the hammock swayed gently beneath them.

* * *

Jessie was startled awake by a large crashing sound. She put a hand on her chest, trying to will her heart to calm down. Her green eyes met Buzz's blue ones and they looked at a sky that was rapidly filling with pitch black clouds.

Buzz gave Jessie a gentle shove towards the hammock's edge, "We better get back to the truck. Now. I don't like the look of this storm."

They made it about halfway to the truck before heavy, fat raindrops began pelting them. "Come on!" Buzz yelled, grabbing Jessie's hand. They ran as quickly as they could the rest of the way, but the deluge had begun. Jessie jumped into the truck just before Buzz slammed his door closed. He looked at her, seeing she was bent over, "Jess?"

Jessie leaned back against the seat, laughing so hard that tears were rolling down her face, mixed with the raindrops that dripped from her hair. She looked every inch a drowned rat and Buzz grinned and started laughing, because he knew he was the same. They sat in his truck, laughing, until a loud crack of thunder brought them to their senses. "Geez, that was close! Come on, let's go back to my house; it's closer." The trucked roared to life as he sped down the road.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Buzz pulled his truck into the garage and grinned at Jessie, "Wish I had a camera right now…"

Jessie laughed, "You don't look much better, FlyBoy. You sure you want me getting water all over your house?"

Buzz shrugged, "It'll dry." Jessie grabbed her purse and followed Buzz into the mud room, shivering in spite of the summer heat that brought on the storm. "You're freezing!" Buzz grabbed an old towel from the top of the dryer and wrapped it around Jessie's shoulders. "Tell you what, why don't you go grab a shower to warm up and I will get dinner started. How's that sound?"

Jessie nodded, "Sounds good to me! " She followed Buzz's directions to the bathroom, peeled off her wet clothes, and started the water running. She paused, wrapped herself in a towel, and called down from the top of the stairs, "Hey, Buzz?"

"Yeah?" came the reply from the kitchen.

"Do me a favor and call Woody? He's probably wondering where I am."

"I'm on it!"

"Thank you!" Jessie returned to the bathroom, stepping into the hot shower. She lingered for a while, letting the warmth soak in to her skin. She shut off the water, and pulled back the curtain, reaching for her towel. On the counter was a folded set of pajamas and a note. Jessie stepped out onto the bathmat and took the note, _Took your clothes (well, most of them) and put them in the wash with mine. This was the smallest thing I could find; hope they fit! Dinner's cooking, so come down when you're ready._

Jessie smiled at Buzz's thoughtfulness. There had been several guys interested in her at school, but none could hold a candle to Buzz. She looked at the floor and saw that "most of" her clothes did not include her underwear or bra and she chuckled. The underwear was dry enough, _but I'll have to let this dry,_ Jessie thought as she picked up her wet bra and hung it over the towel rack. She slipped into Buzz's pajamas, glad that the pants were drawstring since she had to tighten them almost as far as she could to make them fit. She toweled her hair, running her fingers through it in an effort to comb the long red mop before pulling it back into a single loose braid.

Jessie walked down the stairs and to the kitchen doorway. Her breath caught in her throat a little when she saw Buzz standing over the stove. His back was to her, and he was wearing only a pair of long pajama pants, his athletic build as strong as ever. _What is wrong with me? I've seen him plenty of times without a shirt. Gah, don't be an idiot, Jess._ She walked into the room, "Mmmm, sure smells good in here! What's for dinner?"

Buzz turned and hesitated for a brief moment before answering, "Chili. And garlic bread. Glad the pjs fit."

Jessie laughed, "Me, too! And is it your very own chili?" She walked in, peering into the saucepan.

Buzz acted affronted, "Of course!"

Jessie hummed appreciatively as she inhaled the spicy aroma, "I haven't had a decent bowl of chili in I don't know how long. What can I do to help?"

"Not a thing."

"Buzz! I am perfectly capable of helping you!"

"Yes, you are." Buzz steered her to a chair at the kitchen table, dropping a feather-light kiss on the top of her head as he pushed her gently into the chair, "You're just not permitted to."

"Humph. Fine then," she brought her knee to her chest. "Did you get in touch with Woody?"

"Oh! Yes, and I'm glad you said something. He said that Bo needed his help fixing something at the diner and he didn't know if he'd be back tonight with these storms. So he kind of asked me if I could keep you company at the house, if you wanted, since you aren't exactly comfortable with the dark"

"You might put it that way," she muttered. During a game of hide-and-seek as kids, she accidentally was locked in a metal storage cabinet for hours. She shuddered at the memory and Buzz's voice broke into her reverie.

"I was thinking, I know your car is still in town, but since this weather's supposed to be like this all night, maybe I'd just keep you here. If it's ok with you, I mean." Buzz nervously rubbed his hand along the back of his neck.

Jessie tilted her head, "Why are you so good to me?"

"You're my girl," Buzz said in his Forrest Gump voice as he stirred the chili.

Jessie laughed, "You remember that?"

"Of course. It may have been a while since we've seen each other, but I remember everything about you," he glanced at her, his eyes serious.

Jessie lowered her head a little, "Even the times when I'm an idiot?"

Buzz grinned wickedly, "Especially those. After all, I need something to use as blackmail."

"Hey!" Jessie laughed, throwing a dish towel at him. "Did Woody need me to call him back or anything?"

"Yeah, actually. I think he was more than happy to know you were with me, but would still like to hear you say that you're all right. You know how protective he is. Your phone's on the table, there."

Jessie pressed the button to call Woody. "Hey, big brother. Yeah…no… I'm fine. Yes, really. Yeah, he told me; I'm going to crash here tonight. I dunno, play naked Yahtzee, I guess." Jessie worked hard to stifle a laugh at the look on Buzz's face as his eyebrows shot up. "Take care of Bo. Yes, I'm very glad about that, too. Ok, see you tomorrow. What? No, _you_behave. Whatever. Yeah yeah, love you, too."

"Naked Yahtzee?"

"Well he asked what we were going to be doing, I had to think of something," she grinned. "Incidentally, I think he feels indebted to you."

Buzz spooned the chili into bowls, shrugging nonchalantly but grinned, "Well, he always has been. But why in particular now?"

"Smart ass. Because of how you look after me. He wasn't sure, and…neither was I, if there would be bad blood between us, you know, after how we parted ways…" Jessie ducked her head a little. Even though Buzz had said he was ready to move past that night, she still felt shame over it.

Buzz set the bowls on two trays and walked over to Jessie, taking her chin in his hand, "Jessie, there will never be bad blood between us. We were both to blame, but all that matters now is you're home, I'm home, and we've been able to start over."

Jessie lowered her eyes from the intense look Buzz gave her, "That's good to know," she said softly.

"Ok, dinner's ready," Buzz said as he pulled the garlic bread from the oven. "Grab your tray and follow me to the living room."

"The living room?"

"You'll see." Jessie followed him with her tray and smiled when she saw a picnic blanket spread out between the couch and the TV. Buzz smiled, "See, originally I wanted to take you on a picnic tonight. But nature seems to be conspiring against me, so I had to improvise a bit."

"Buzz, this is wonderful!" Jessie carefully set her tray down on the blanket. "Should we watch a movie while we eat?"

"Sure! I have Forrest Gump, it'll be just like old times?"

"Perfect!"

* * *

_It is just like old times,_ Jessie thought. Once they had finished eating, Buzz leaned up against the couch and Jessie tucked in beside him. His arm was draped around her shoulders and she brought her knees up to her chest, just like they had spent countless of hours watching movies. They laughed and recited the lines from their favorite scenes. Jessie never noticed how much Woody sounded like Tom Hanks until Buzz pointed it out. The next to last scene in the movie always made Jessie cry and this time was no exception, although she tried to hide it from Buzz by staying silent. It worked until she let out a shuddering breath, and then she laughed as Buzz looked down at her, "Damn, this part always gets me."

Buzz smiled and reached over to wipe the tears from her cheek. As the backs of his fingers brushed her cheek, he froze. Jessie's green eyes met his steely-blue ones and neither of them realized they were holding their breath. Buzz leaned in slowly, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. Jessie felt as if she had an electric charge run through her spine as their lips touched. Buzz pulled back slightly, but only for a brief moment; Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and their lips met again, but far more hungrily. As Jessie was pulled closed to Buzz, she moved so that she straddled his lap. In mid-kiss Buzz pulled back, "Wait, Jess… I don't want to do this…I mean I _do_ want to do this, but if you're not okay with it and, I mean…"

His words were cut off as Jessie placed her fingers against his lips, "Just go with it, Buzz." She took his face in her hands, gave him a reassuring look, and kissed him soundly. She felt him breathe in and his worries evaporate. He kissed her jaw line and her throat as his hands moved beneath the pajama top to her bare back. Jessie brought her head down and sought out Buzz's lower lip, catching at it with her teeth. Buzz let out a soft groan and pulled Jessie closer. As they shared a deeply passionate kiss, there was a loud crash of thunder, causing Jessie to yelp and hide her face in Buzz's shoulder as they were plunged into darkness. Buzz chuckled and nipped Jessie's neck playfully, "It's ok, Jess, the power just went out. Let me up, I'll get a fire going."

Jessie slipped off of Buzz, her heart pounding. Buzz went to the kitchen and came back with a flashlight and long matches. He handed Jessie the flashlight, "Can you see if there are any candles in the hall closet, while I get this lit?"

Jessie took the flashlight and stood up, "Sure." She carefully made her way to the hall and opened the closet. As she looked on the shelves for candles, she felt something nudge against her foot. She shone the flashlight down and saw a football rocking slightly. A mischievous grin crossed her face and she set the flashlight down on a shelf. Silently, she slipped out of the pajama pants and unfastened all but one strategically placed button on the nightshirt. She picked up the football and turned the flashlight off. Holding the football up, she leaned against the doorframe, "Buzz?"

"Yeah?" Buzz looked up as he slid the glass door of the fireplace closed. His jaw dropped a few inches as he took in the sight of her.

"You don't seem to have Yahtzee… so how about some touch football?" She arched an eyebrow. As Buzz approached, she hoped he couldn't hear her heart pounding. He didn't say anything, but was eyeing up the football. "Well, pardner," she used an old nickname for him, "what do you think?" _Oh, God, please tell me I'm not making a fool of myself…_

Buzz gently took the football from her hands, "Well…I think…" he grinned at her as he tossed the football aside, "I think we should leave the football out of it."

Jessie squealed with laughter as Buzz scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the playful kisses he deposited on her lips. He walked back to the blanket and knelt down, gently bringing Jessie to the floor. He leaned back, and Jessie could see anxiousness still in his eyes. She smiled softly, reached up and unfastened the single button on the nightshirt. Buzz let out a long breath and lay down beside her, his fingers lightly brushing the skin of her stomach as he moved the night shirt aside. Jessie felt goose bumps erupting all over her skin as his fingertips caressed her. Their lips met, each kiss deepening as their bodies reacted instinctively to each other. Buzz kissed the hollow of her neck as his hips pressed against hers. Jessie slid her hands down, pulling at the drawstring of his pajamas. He assisted by sliding out of them, and then finished undressing her. As the firewood crackled and the raindrops pelted against the windows, they made love, slowly and gently, enjoying each other as only lovers can.

* * *

Jessie woke to a gentle beam of sunlight filtering through the window and into her eyes. She had to think for a moment where she was, but then she heard Buzz's soft, even breaths and she smiled. At some point he got the quilted throw from the couch and covered them both. Her head was resting against his chest and one arm was draped across his bare stomach. His arms were wrapped around her, and Jessie thought back to the previous night's events. A slow smile blossomed on her lips and she snuggled into Buzz's chest.

Buzz stirred and hugged Jessie tightly to him, "G'morning, sunshine."

"Morning."

"Looks like the storms have passed."

Jessie smiled up at him, "Sure seems that way."

Buzz cupped his hand around her face, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek, "I love you, Jessie."

She slid up, kissing Buzz deeply. She pulled away and looked him in the eye, "I know." She grinned and then laughed as Buzz started tickling her for using one of his favorite movie scenes on him.

He caught her against him and kissed her neck, breathing in the soft, flowery scent he knew belonged only to her. He looked at her lovingly, amazed at having in his arms something he once thought was lost completely. His gaze turned thoughtful and Jessie felt his eyes searching hers, as if trying to discern something.

Jessie smiled slightly, "What is it?"

"Sit up a second, would you?"

"Sure," she wrapped the throw around her as she sat up, freeing Buzz.

He reached over to the small end table, opening the drawer and retrieving something small. He leaned back against the couch, and Jessie sat next to him, her legs tucked beside her. His fingers opened and Jessie's heart almost stopped. In his hand was a simple band of gold with a solitaire diamond. She looked at him, but he was staring at the ring reminiscently. "You would have had no way of knowing this," he said, his voice soft, "But I had this in my pocket the night you announced you were leaving for veterinary school."

Her eyes widened, moving from his hand back to his face, "You did?"

He nodded, musing, "Bo and Woody knew, of course. I had it all planned out in my head. After dinner you and I would take our walk through the fields, like we always did. And I didn't know the exact moment, but I would just find the right time and ask. It's funny," his eyes met hers, "this weighs so little, but I felt every ounce of it when we were fighting. More so after you turned and walked away." His eyes rested on the ring, "Not sure why I kept it, especially since I thought I had lost my chance."

Jessie could feel her heart racing, uncertain of so many things. She smiled softly, "But you did keep it."

Buzz smiled, nodding, "I guess I wasn't ready, even at the time, to just accept that that was it. I suppose I couldn't help but hope I would get the opportunity to try again."

"And now?" she all but whispered.

Buzz looked up at her with such tenderness that Jessie felt a lump rise quickly in her throat, "Think I could have another chance?"

She swallowed hard, licking her lips as she nodded.

Gently he took her left hand in his, sliding the ring onto her finger. "You're my girl, Jessay?" he smiled lovingly at her, emphasizing the word 'my'.

Jessie's gaze mirrored his, "I'll always be your girl, Buzz." His blue eyes looked almost questioningly at her and she nodded, whispering, "Yes."

Buzz moved so quickly, Jessie could barely register it until his lips were pressed against hers, his hand winding through her hair, pulling her close to him. As they broke apart, Jessie flung her arms around his neck, laughing, tears of joy sparkling in her eyes and on her cheeks. She felt him bury his face in her neck as he folded his arms around her and knew that this felt just as right to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:** Kind of a short chapter, but it had to end where it ended, otherwise Chap 6 would be weird (not unlike that sentence. What? LOL). Read, review, and revel, my loves :)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Between work at the vet office and work on the farm, Jessie was so busy for the next two weeks, she was barely able to see much of either Bo or Buzz. Despite that downside, Jessie felt happier than she had in a long while. One morning found her in Bullseye's stall, humming along with the radio while she gave her horse a much needed bath.

"And here I thought this was just an excuse to not see me," Buzz's voice startled her.

"What was an excuse?"

He grinned, 'Washing your horse's hair."

Jessie laughed, flinging soap suds at him.

Buzz caught her around the waist, slowly backing her up against the wooden barrier that separated the stalls. He leaned down, kissing her in his gentle-but-certain way. He felt her hands rest on his chest as her fingers caught the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. His fingers grazed her jaw as he reached up, cupping his hand on the side of her face. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, breathing out contentedly. His blue eyes looked down into hers and he smiled softly, "Hi."

There was a knocking at the barn entrance, followed by the call of a thin voice, "Miss Pride?"

Jessie scowled as Buzz chuckled and released her, "Oh, you have _gotta_ be kiddin' me." She walked out of the stall and saw a slender, youthful man in a suit. "Yes?"

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm an associate of…"

Jessie help up her hand, "Wait, don't tell me, let me guess: Mr. Peters?"

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am. I'm…"

She cut him off again, "Y'know, I believe _Mister_ Pride has made it adamantly clear: the ranch is not and will not be for sale. Mr. Peters would do better to use his resources to keep you all informed, instead of sending you on individual wild goose chases."

The man's smile was forced and condescension dripped from his words, "And perhaps you would do better to listen when people speak to you. After all, the possibility that you are, in fact, ignorant of your brother's intentions does exist."

Buzz barely repressed a snort of laughter as he continued bathing Bullseye. The silence that hung in the air, he well knew, meant Jessie's temper was reaching a dangerous level. _Soon_, Buzz thought, _this guy will know, too._

Jessie planted her hands on her hips, "Listen, _junior_, on the lines of ignorance, I'm sure you come highly recommended, bein' that you seem well versed on the subject. However, I have neither the interest nor the years left to take up on everything you don't know. My brother is not selling because he _can_ not sell without the co-owner's approval. That, I assure you, he does not have. So why don't you pack up the attitude and go back to Mr. Peters and tell him to stop wasting our time with this nonsense."

The man inhaled sharply, but tried a new tactic, "Sorry, miss, but you see, it's just that Mr. Peters has such an affinity for this place, and…"

Jessie rounded on him, her green eyes flashing with her temper, "I don't give a damn if he has an affinity for three-toed sloths in Timbuktu. It's not for sale, period. Now, if you'll excuse me," her tone became cloyingly sweet, "I have far more meaningful tasks to attend to." She spun on her heel, turning back to Bulleye's stall.

She fumed silently, until she heard the crunch of the tires on the gravel lane; then she let out an aggravated growl.

Buzz, for his part, was trying to maintain a straight face and failing miserably. "Junior?"

"God, I _hate_ when they take that tone of voice with me. So glad you're amused," she cast a look at Buzz. "You missed a spot," she noted, bending down to pick up the hose.

"Where?" he demanded.

"Here," she grinned, blasting him in the chest with a stream of water.

Shrieks and bellows of laughter emanated from the barn as Woody sauntered inside. He leaned against the open gate, his arms folded lazily across his chest. "And just what is goin' on back here?" he raised an eyebrow, grinning.

Jessie laughed, squirting Buzz one last time, "Just givin' Bullseye a bath." She took the towel Woody offered, wiping off her face and wringing out her braid. "Need to talk to you." She threw the towel at Buzz with a grin and a wink, "Clean yourself up, Lightyear, you're a mess!"

Jessie had just finished filling Woody in on the morning's visit as Buzz joined them on the back porch. Woody frowned, running his fingers through his hair, "I just don't get it, Jess. There's got to be something behind this, but what?"

"Search me. He does his homework, that's for sure. The only reason we had another lackey out here was to confirm something he already knew: our co-ownership of Round-Up Ranch. But if he wants this place so badly, why not just come out here himself to discuss it? Why keep sending his lap dogs?"

Woody shrugged, pushing himself out of the chair, "Well, maybe we can ask next time someone calls. I'll be glad to get this whole mess settled. Buzz, can I borrow you or are you already spoken for?" He smirked, glancing between his best friend and his sister.

Jessie waved her hand dismissively, "You can have him."

Buzz laughed, "Oh, thanks, Jess."

She grinned up at him, "You know I just keep you around because you can do the heavy lifting."

Buzz leaned down, his lips brushing hers. "Heavy lifting? It used to be for my Spanish." She stiffened a little as his lips grazed her ear and he whispered, "Te amo con una pasion ardiente. Usted es todo que quiero." He caught the look in her eyes as he followed after Woody, grinning to himself because he knew he was in for a world of trouble later for that stunt.

There were no more phone calls and no more visitations. Life resumed to normal at the ranch, for which Woody was profoundly grateful. Ranch work was difficult enough without constant, futile interruptions. The summer had arrived in full force, and he and Jessie worked from dawn until dusk, moving the cows between pastures, and cutting the hay. As difficult as the labor was, the siblings enjoyed every minute of it, more so when Bo and Buzz were there to share the evenings.

* * *

The older man looked over his steepled fingers to the open file sitting before him. In the high polish of the mahogany desk, he could see the reflection of the burly man who stood across from him, waiting. He raised his eyes to this man, "This is everything, Lotso?" his voice a rich baritone.

The man nodded, "Yes, sir, everything you requested," he spoke with a gentle Southern drawl.

"And what of them, now?"

"They seem to have dismissed the incident, sir."

He nodded, "Excellent."

"With all due respect, Mr. Peters, but we could have moved faster, had this all taken care of while you were away."

Peters chuckled, "Always in such a hurry, Lotso. I have waited years for this, a few weeks more will not matter. It's a shame," he leaned back in the padded leather chair, "have you noticed how many fires this dry weather have caused? Fire hazard warnings up all over the county. It is such a sad thing to read of these farms who lose entire fields… or barns to a fire." He looked pointedly at Lotso.

There was the briefest flicker of comprehension in Lotso's dark eyes, "Yes, sir, a real shame."

"I believe we're finished for now, Lotso." As he watched the burly man leave, Peters' eyes came to rest on a framed black and white photograph of two teen-aged boys. They were laughing in the photograph, but the sight brought no smile to Peters' eyes. "Soon," he muttered, "soon."

* * *

**Author's note:** Spanish Buzz FTW! FYI, what he says is "I love you with a fiery passion. You are all that I want." Because seriously... what girl in her right mind isn't gonna melt at that? I would and I wrote it! LOL

In other news, Peters finally gets screen time. If it hadn't already been established that he's kind of a jerk, let me tell you as the author, he's kind of a jerk! LOL I've been trying to figure out how to get him in here and give him dialogue... would he cooperate? NO! So yeah, he's a prat for that reason, if none other :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was an unusually lazy Saturday afternoon and Jessie had the house to herself. Woody and Bo were spending a much needed day together, so she had used the time to move some things to the attic before Buzz was supposed to come for dinner. While she was up there, she came across her grandfather's old scrapbooks. She was sitting on the porch swing, smiling at the photographs when Buzz walked up, carrying a bag.

"Hiya, cowgirl. Whatcha looking at?"

She looked up in sheepish surprise, "Hey. I'm sorry, I lost track of time. I found Grandpa's scrapbooks up in the attic; guess I got wrapped up in them." She closed the book and stood up, greeting Buzz with a lingering kiss. She nodded towards the bag, "Moving in?"

Buzz grinned, pulling her to his side as he laid an arm around her shoulder, "Don't tempt me. I thought I'd make dinner for you, since you all usually feed me."

"Works for me. Maybe we can talk a walk after dinner? It seems like it's been ages since we've done that."

"Whatever you want to do tonight is fine by me. I am completely at your disposal."

Jessie grinned wickedly as they entered the house, "Who's tempting who, now?"

After dinner was over and the dishes were done, Buzz was sitting on the couch, waiting for Jessie to come back from the barn. He started gently turning through the pages of weathered photographs, smiling as he recognized Woody and Jessie as children.

Jessie slipped her arms around his shoulders from the back of the couch, "Nosy."

He smiled, pulling her around so she was sitting on his lap. "I remember the first time I met your grandfather. He asked my name and when I told him, he said 'Buzz? That's the name of a haircut, not a boy!'"

Jessie laughed, "Yeah, but when he found out it was because your parents were such space nuts, he just had to go and show you how to make a model rocket."

Buzz smiled, "He was a good man."

Jessie nodded, leaning back against him, "It runs in the family. There are so many times, when I've watched Woody out with the horses or the cows, I can see Grandpa in him."

"It's not just Woody; I bet he would have been so proud of you going to vet school."

She smiled, "I'd like to think so, especially since it was all his fault I wanted to go there."

They looked through the albums together, Jessie telling stories that made Buzz roar with laughter. They were turning pages in an older book, and they found a picture of Grandpa Pride standing with another man in front of the farm house. Jessie grinned, "Look! This must have been when he bought the place. God, he was young, wasn't he?"

Buzz nodded, running his finger along the photo's edge. His finger caught on something and the photo was dislodged from the page, the years-old adhesive giving way. He looked at Jessie, afraid he had broken something, but she tilted her head in a curious way, leaning forward.

Her fingers brushed his as she gently pried back the photo, revealing a small newspaper clipping. Her eyebrows came together in concentration as she gently unfolded the yellowed paper. It was a small article, and she recognized her grandfather's handwriting in the date at the top; next to that were the words "Stinky Pete". She held the clipping, her green eyes scanning the small type.

_**Lasseter Acres Sold**_

_ Several weeks ago, a highly publicized bidding war began for Lasseter Acres. Mr. John Lasseter, a well-loved member of the community, announced that he has sold his land to newcome Mr. James Pride. Mr. Lasseter made this statement in regards to the sale, "I believe Mr. Pride will love this land as I have, and it is my hope that it will bring him the same joy that I have known."_

_ The other bidder, a Mr. Samuel Peters, could not be reached for comment. When questioned about Mr. Peters, Mr. Lasseter would only say that Mr. Pride outbid him. Rumors have been circulating that Mr. Peters, a long time resident, was interested in developing the land only for the oil reserve that supposedly exists deep underground. Mr. Lasseter would not answer questions regarding such rumors, but did say he never found so much as a drop of oil in his many years of working the land._

_ It is with fondness that the community says farewell to Mr. Lasseter_

The article ended there, and Jessie and Buzz looked at each other, eyes wide. Buzz looked back at the article, rereading it quickly. "Jess, you don't suppose…"

"It has to be, doesn't it? I mean, how can this all be coincidence?"

"Is there an oil reserve?"

Jessie shook her head, "No. Dad had it checked out. The reserve lies well to the east of us, not that he would have torn up one square foot of this place, even if it had been right under us." She had thoughtful, far away look on her face.

Buzz took the clipping and placed it in the book, leaving it poking out of the page as a book marker. He set the books aside, and looked back at Jessie, turning her face towards him. "Who is Stinky Pete?"

"I don't know much about him, but I remember Grandpa telling stories about him and this kid called Stinky Pete. I think they were pretty tight as kids. Guess that didn't last; wonder when they parted ways if Peters was 'a long-time resident'. Seems so weird to think of Grandpa living anywhere but here." She smiled, leaning back against him. "Whatcha want t'do now?"

He rested his head down on hers, "I don't care, as long as it involves staying like this."

Jessie chuckled, "Boy, you're easy. Hand me the remote, then; maybe there's a good movie on."

* * *

It was about one-thirty in the morning when Woody came home. He locked the door behind him and walked to the living room, surprised to hear the television still on. He waved as he saw Buzz, "Hey."

Buzz pressed a finger to his lips and pointed down at Jessie. She was still seated on his lap, but was curled against him, sound asleep. "Good day with Bo?"

Woody shrugged as he flopped into the armchair, "Oh, you know…"

Buzz grinned, noticing the pink lip prints on his friend's face, "Yup…in fact you might say it's written all over your face." He laughed silently as Woody took out his bandanna and wiped off the incriminating marks.

Woody's eyes fell upon the scrapbooks and he sat towards the edge of the chair, "Wow, where did those come from?"

"Jess found them in the attic and we were looking through them earlier. There's something interesting in there you should see." Buzz slid gently from behind Jessie, laying her down on the couch. She sighed and stirred, but did not wake up. He covered her with the afghan Woody tossed his way. "Come on," he picked up the top album, "let's go to the kitchen."

Woody's eyes darted back and forth between the photo and the article. "It makes sense," he nodded. "But… I don't know, Buzz, fifty some years is a long time, don't you think?"

Buzz shrugged, "Who knows? Could be Peters' kids or grandkids. But it does explain why you were getting all of those visits and calls." He stood, stretching.

Woody shut the album, doing likewise, "Stayin' the night?"

He shook his head, "Nah, I'm good to get home. Still having the cookout tomorrow?"

Woody nodded, "Yup. Figure we'll eat about six; I think Bo told Rex and the rest of them to show up about five-thirty. You can pretty much show up whenever." They walked through the living room, Woody musing over whether to wake his sister.

Buzz raised his eyebrows, "She'll kill you if you wake her up, you know."

Woody grinned, "Yeah, but it's not that comfy of a couch, so she'll be cranky in the morning if I leave her to sleep down here. Trying to decide on the lesser of two evils."

Buzz chuckled, "Important rule of battle: always have a contingency plan." He gathered the sleeping cowgirl up into his arms and took her up to her bed, tucking her in with a light kiss. He waved to Woody as he left, "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

It was early afternoon and Jessie was helping Bo and Woody set up the house for the cookout when the phone rang. Jessie was closest, so she answered, "Hello? Hey, Slink. What?! No, oh no. No, of course. I will be right over." She looked at Woody apologetically, but he held up his hand and nodded. She ran upstairs to get changed, pinning her hair up out of the way. She grabbed her vet bag and thundered down the stairs and out of the front door, almost running right into Buzz.

"Whoa, Cowgirl, where's the fire?" He reached out a hand to steady her, spying her bag.

"Unkrich's. Slink just called, he has to do emergency surgery on their mare and needs help." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Save me a plate!" With that she was off and running, jumping in her car and speeding out of the yard.

Several hours later, Jessie pulled back into the yard, shutting off her car, glad to see that Bo and Buzz were the only ones still there. She closed her eyes, leaning back against the headrest. It had been an intense evening; she ended up performing most of the surgery, but despite her best efforts, the mare had to be euthanized, her immune system too fragile to withstand the aggressive infection. With a sigh, Jessie flicked away the tears from the corners of her eyes and got out of the car. She walked around back to the kitchen, taking a longer route into the house so she could try and steel herself for the questions. As she rounded the house, she glanced up at the barn, noticing the doors were swinging open. _That's weird,_ she thought, _Wonder if the latch isn't catching again?_ Jessie could see Bo standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes. She waved to her and pointed to the barn to indicate where she was going. Bo waved in acknowledgement.

Jessie reached the barn and began to push the doors closed when she heard a strange noise from within. She let the doors fall open and walked inside. Bullseye was acting aggravated, snorting and rearing up slightly. Jessie grabbed his snout gently, rubbing between his eyes, "Bullseye, settle. What's gotten into you, boy?" A strangely sweet odor and the acrid smell of burning hay reached her nose and her eyes widened. Before she could turn around, there was a blinding pain in the back of her head and everything went dark.

* * *

"Want another beer, Woody?" Buzz called as he walked into the kitchen.

"Sure, if you're buyin'!" came the reply from the living room.

"I should start you a tab," he retorted with a chuckle. He glanced out of the window and stopped, seeing flames along the side of the barn. "Woody! The barn's on fire!"

"What?!" Woody and Bo were in the kitchen instantly. He cursed as he saw the flames for himself. "Bo, call the fire department, quick! Buzz, we gotta get the horses!"

"Woody, wait!" Bo's voice mirrored the horror on her face.

"Bo, what? What is it?"

"Jessie… she came back a little while ago, and…she headed up to the barn."

Woody turned to look at Buzz, but his friend was already out the door. It only took a few seconds for Woody to catch up to him. They reached the barn doors and saw the inside alight with flames, but there was no sign of Jessie. Buzz looked at Woody, whose brown eyes held a mixture of terror and helplessness. Buzz's military training kicking in, helping him remain calm, even as his heart pounded, "You get the horses out, I'll find Jessie."

Woody nodded and ran down the corridor, unlatching and opening the doors. Buzz was searching high and low, calling Jessie's name, but each time he yelled, there was no answer. Bullseye struggled as Woody tried to pull him out of his stall, "Come on, Bullseye, this is no time for games!" He finally coaxed the horse out with the rest of them. Woody made sure all of the horses were out to the back pasture and ran back to Buzz, his boots skidding on the floor as he came to a stop.

Buzz shook his head and coughed as the smoke was thickening rapidly. "Go, Woody! I'll find her, just get out of here!" He yelled and shoved his friend towards the door. Pulling his shirt up over his mouth and nose, he continued frantically calling for the cowgirl. Bulleye's behavior nagged at him; he was usually such a fearless horse. Buzz sprinted back to that stall, bending down as he entered it, dodging some falling debris. In the back of the stall, he saw Jessie's unconscious form. He moved quickly, scooping her up in his arms and running as quickly as he could out of the inferno.

He took in deep breaths of the cool night air, and saw Bo standing by Woody, her arms wrapped around him. Woody exhaled in relief at the sight of his sister, his knees almost giving out from under him. Bo rested her forehead against Woody's bicep, "Oh, thank God."

Buzz smiled slightly, the adrenaline wearing off, making him feel more exhausted than he had after days of intense basic training. He looked down at Jessie and frowned, giving her a little shake, "Jess?" She remained limp in his arms and he felt the cold dread wash over him. He reached up with the arm that supported her shoulders, his fingers tracing her jaw, "Jessie?" Buzz fought hard to keep the panic out of his voice. He felt her neck for her pulse. He could feel her heartbeat through his fingertips, but –

"Buzz?" Woody's voice cracked and he took a step forward.

Buzz looked up at him, "She's not breathing."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Buzz looked up at him, "She's not breathing."

Bo grabbed Woody's arm, "Oh, God."

Buzz laid Jessie on the ground, tilting her head back, and began forcing breath into her mouth. He did this several times, stopping every so often to check to see if her breathing resumed, but each time he felt nothing. "C'mon, cowgirl; you gotta breathe. _Please_ breathe." He pressed his mouth to hers again, willing her to wake up. He thought his heart was about to explode from the fear when he felt air coming back into his mouth. He pulled away and fought hard not to break down as Jessie sat up, coughing and taking in large gulps of air.

Jessie thought nothing tasted as sweet as that evening air, as she slumped back against something. Her eyelids fluttered and she saw Buzz looking at her, his face smudged with soot and his blue eyes brimming with concerned tears. She smiled weakly, "Hey."

"Oh, Jess," Buzz caught her against his chest in a tight embrace. His cheeks were wet with tears of relief, and he buried his face in her hair. "God, Jessie, I was so afraid…" He put an arm around her waist, helping her to stand.

Jessie leaned most of her weight against him, but looked at Woody, "Woody…"

He ran over, taking her face in his hands. "You're all right. You're all right. What happened?"

Jessie shook her head, "I'm not sure. I came up to shut the doors and I heard a noise. Bullseye was acting spooked, and I wanted to calm him down. That's when I smelled the smoke. I-I don't know what happened after that. It felt like my head exploded and that's the last thing I remember. I'm sorry, Woody."

Woody kissed her on her forehead, chocolate eyes meeting emerald ones, "It doesn't matter. You're out, you're safe, and that's all I care about right now." He could hear the sirens of the fire trucks wailing as they came up the lane.

Jessie's eyes widened and she looked back to the blazing structure, "The horses? Bullseye?"

"Got 'em all out, don't worry."

"Woody!" Sarge's voice called from the fire truck that pulled up next to them. "You folks all right?"

"Yeah, Sarge. We're all ok." He watched at the impressive speed and dexterity Sarge's team of firemen displayed as they hooked up hoses and began dousing the barn with water.

Woody wrapped his arms around Bo, and Buzz kept Jessie close as the four of them watched the firemen fight the blaze. A sense of loss crept into Woody's heart as he watched his grandfather's handiwork eaten by the flames. He heard Jessie sniffle a little and knew she felt the same.

Sarge ran over to him, nodding to Bo and Jessie, "Miss Bo, Miss Jessie, Buzz. Woody, I don't like to tell you, but it's a total loss. About all my men and I can do is to keep the flames from catching your fields on fire."

Woody nodded, "Do whatever you have to do."

There was a slight rumbling noise as the barn collapsed in on itself. As it crashed to the ground, Woody flinched and Jessie hid her face in Buzz's shirt.

Sarge turned back to Woody, "I'm sorry, Woody. I know your grandfather built that barn. Why don't you folks go back to the house; there's nothing you can do here. I'll stop in before we leave."

Woody nodded and gestured to Buzz; the four of them walked back down to the house, feeling as if they just witnessed the death of a loved one.

Bo immediately made a pot of strong coffee and was pressing a cup into Buzz's hand as they sat in the living room. Jessie wrapped her arms around her knees, and leaned against Buzz, oddly quiet. Bo handed Woody a mug as she sat on the arm of the chair, her hands resting on his shoulders. They sat together in silence, no one knowing what should be said.

It was Sarge's voice that eventually broke the silence, "Woody?"

"In here, Sarge," Woody called, standing up.

"The fire's out, and we think we got all of the hot spots. Your horses?"

Woody shook his head, "They're all out in the back pasture."

He nodded, "I'm sorry about the barn. Seems like they're going up like powder kegs all over the county with this dry spell."

Woody let out a sigh, "Yeah, been readin' that in the paper. We have insurance, and no one got hurt. That's the most important thing to me, right now." His eyes slid to Jessie.

Sarge gripped Woody on the shoulder and bid everyone a good night. They heard the rumbling of the fire truck fade into the distance, leaving the sounds of the summer night to fill the void.

Woody took Bo's hand, "Come and walk with me?" She nodded and the two of them walked out of the front door, leaving Jessie and Buzz on the couch.

Buzz jumped when Jessie spoke. "I should probably call Slink, tell him I may need a few days off," she said absently.

He brushed his finger along her cheek, "Want me to?"

She nodded, resting her chin on her knees, her eyes staring at the floor.

Buzz walked out to the kitchen phone. "Hi, Slink, it's Buzz Lightyear. I'm good, sir, you? Hey, listen, we had an incident out here at the ranch and Jess took a rather nasty hit to the head. Yes, sir, she's fine, but she may be needing to take it easy a few days. Thanks, I will tell her you said so. Tonight? No, she didn't say anything." He listened as Slink expressed concern over Jessie, filling him in on the outcome of the surgery. Buzz looked out towards Jessie, "I'll be sure to pass that along, sir. Yes, sir, I will. Good night."

He hung up the phone and walked back out to the living room. Jessie looked up at him, "He ok?"

"Yup, he said to tell you that he hopes you are okay and to take it easy."

She nodded, "Did he… did he say anything else?"

Buzz looked at her thoughtfully and smiled, "Yeah, actually. He said you are a remarkable woman and I don't deserve you."

A flicker of a smile crossed Jessie's face, "Well he's right, there." When she saw the semi-stricken look on Buzz's face, she grinned, "I am a remarkable woman."

Buzz laughed, sitting down next to her. As he did, she pulled his arm around her. One of the many things Buzz had always liked about Jessie is that she wasn't overly clingy. She was independent enough to know that when she did need his arm, she could just reach out and make it happen. He watched her as she played with his fingers, knowing that she would speak when she was ready.

Jessie didn't make him wait long. "Buzz?"

"Hmmm?"

"What would have happened if," she paused, changing her mind about what to say. "You could have been hurt."

Buzz blinked in surprise; that was not what he expected to hear her say. After all, hers was the life that was almost lost, that she was so worried about him rendered him speechless for a moment. He pulled her against him, kissing the side of her head, "But I wasn't, Jess."

She wrenched away from him, "But you could have been… Buzz, you could have died. And it would have been all my fault!"

He recognized the short breaths, the higher voice, and the frantic gleam in her eyes. When they were kids and she thought she was getting shut in the dark, she had the same reaction. Buzz took her face in his hands, pulling her so that her eyes met his, "Jessie, listen to me, no _listen _to me. Nothing that happened tonight was your fault. When I heard Bo telling Woody you were in the barn-" he broke off, his voice getting thick. After taking a few breaths, Buzz looked back at Jessie, "When she said where you were, all I knew was that I had to find you, no matter what. I don't care what I have to do, Jess; if it means keeping you safe, I'll do it. I know you're a big girl, 'can tie your own boots and everything'," he smiled and Jessie chuckled as she remembered using that line, "But you're my girl, and you mean everything to me. Please don't feel guilty and beat yourself up over this, okay?" He watched her nod, "Promise me?"

Jessie nodded again, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. "Maybe Slink is wrong about who doesn't deserve who."

Buzz couldn't help but grin, "Well I rather like our setup, so why don't we just agree to be undeserving together?"

She tilted her face up to look at him, "You got yourself a deal."

Bo and Woody came back in the house shortly after. "Bo's staying here the night, if you don't mind, Jess."

"Like I'm gonna mind," she cracked a smile, "Just keep it down, huh?"

Bo grinned rather wickedly for her, "No promises." She wrapped Jessie in a hug, "I'm so glad you're okay. See you in the morning."

Woody dropped a kiss on Jessie's head, and led Bo upstairs.

Jessie leaned her head against Buzz's shoulder, "Stay?"

He nodded, "I wasn't going to make you ask." As he turned off the living room lights, Jessie went to take care of the ones in the kitchen. He found her looking out the back window towards where the barn stood. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he whispered, "C'mon to bed, Cowgirl."

* * *

Peters slammed his fist down on Lotso's table. As soon as he received the call about the fire, he barged over to the man's house. "Did I not make it expressly clear that no one was to be hurt?"

Lotso did not flinch, "You made it expressly clear, sir, that you wanted that land."

"Yes, yes I want the land, but I want them with it! I want the land which their grandfather stole from me, but I want them, too; they're just as important as the property. It makes quite the collection," he mused to himself with that last statement.

"It would be easier to get your land with them out of the way."

Peters glared across the table before straightening up, "I think you have aided me enough, Mr. Lotso. I don't care for your methods. Have your desk cleaned out in the morning." He turned to leave.

"You're firing me?!"

Peters looked over his shoulder. "I'm replacing you," he said with finality, leaving the house.

Lotso's eyes darkened and he picked up his phone, dialing. "Stretch? It's me. You're right, the old man is too soft. It's time to take matters into our own hands. You know what to do."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_Jessie was standing in the barn and could hear Bullseye's frantic neighing. Flames were all around her, separating her from her horse. She tried to get to Bullseye any way she could, but the flames crept higher, trapping them both. Her eyes locked with the horse's and she began to suffocate._

Gasping for air, she sat straight up in bed. All of the fear, the anxiety, the grief from the entire day came crashing down. Jessie pulled her knees to her chest and began to sob.

A cool, strong hand on her back startled her. "Jessie?" asked Buzz gently.

"Oh, Buzz," she cried, falling against him.

He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair. "Shh…it's all right. It was just a dream. You're safe." He held her tightly as she cried against him.

She let out a shaky breath, "I lost the mare. I tried to save her, but..I couldn't…and…."

It took Buzz only the briefest of moments to realize she meant the surgery. He nodded, "I know."

She sniffled, raising her tear-stained face, "You do?"

"Slink told me earlier. He was pretty worried for you."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

He gently brushed a tear from her cheek, "Figured you'd talk about it when you were ready. Besides, you'd been through enough."

She pulled his face to hers, kissing him with an intensity that caught him off guard. He responded willingly to her advances, placing his hand on her waist. He was about to roll on top of her when he hesitated, not wanting to take advantage of her already-emotional state.

Jessie grabbed his hand as he started to withdraw it, pressing it back against her. "Don't stop, Buzz, please. Every-everything thing is so sure when you're loving me. I really need that right now."

Buzz looked down into her imploring green eyes. The fear that they were closed to him forever was still fresh and he kissed her fiercely. They loved each other with an urgency, each one fighting off the fear that night had brought them. He lay awake afterwards, curled up against Jessie's back. He watched her breathing and brushed a lock of hair from her damp forehead. Kissing her shoulder, he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I will keep you safe, Jess, I promise," he whispered, falling asleep beside her.

* * *

Jessie awoke in the pre-dawn twilight. She slipped out of bed, taking care not to wake Buzz, and walked to the window. She could see the charred ruins of the barn in the early morning mist. She saw movement and realized Woody stood, silhouetted against the remains. She dressed quickly, grabbing her robe and shoes, before creeping silently out of the house and up to where he stood. She slipped her arm through his.

Woody started and smiled, laying a hand over hers, "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. Couldn't sleep?"

He shook his head, "Not much. You okay?"

She nodded, "I'm fine."

They stood in silence as the first rays of the sun broke over the horizon. The redness of the light on the burnt wood reminded Woody of the fire, and he shuddered.

Jessie hugged his arm tightly, "It'll be okay."

He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he turned and saw Buzz approaching. He turned as Jessie released his arm, holding out his hand to his friend.

Buzz grabbed his hand and pulled him into am embrace, knowing what was being said. He pulled away with a slight grin, "Bo's mad."

Woody blinked, "Mad? Why?"

"I dunno, but she's in the kitchen cooking up a storm and muttering savagely about your not being there when she woke up."

Woody chuckled, "I'll be sure to watch out for flying skillets." He started back to the house.

Buzz reached his hand out for Jessie who was looking at the ruins.

She smiled, taking his hand in hers, "Did I wake you?"

He shrugged, "Wasn't the first time, better not be the last." He grinned, stroking her cheek, "Sleep better?"

She nodded as they walked through the yard, "Yes. Thank you."

Woody was pensive during breakfast, his eyes looking at Jessie frequently. She finally had enough. "Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln, Woody!" she exclaimed, "Would you just spit it out already?"

Buzz and Bo both looked up from their plates, surprised. Woody finished his bite, "I was thinkin'; what do you think about having Sarge come up and see if he can determine what caused the fire?"

A frown creased Bo's pretty face, "I thought he said this was happening everywhere, that it's because of the dry spell."

Woody shrugged, "And I'd be okay with that, but for Jess' knock to the head."

"Woody, anything could have hit me; something falling from the rafters, who knows? No, I know what you're thinking, but we have no proof!"

Another thoughtful silence followed, broken by Buzz. "Where were you standing when you got hit?"

Jessie looked at him, "Right outside Bullseye's stall. Why?"

"You were definitely outside the stall?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, Buzz. Why?!"

He looked at Woody, then at her, "Because when I finally found you, you were inside his stall, against the haystack."

She blinked, "Inside? But… how?" She looked at Woody, noticing the tired lines under his eyes.

The cowboy shook his head, resting it in his palms, "Maybe I should just call Peters instead and tell him the ranch is his."

"Woody!" Bo exclaimed softly, rising to place her hands on his shoulders.

"No, Bo, he's made it obvious that it doesn't matter what he has to do to get it, even if it means someone getting hurt," his eyes looked over at Jessie, but she didn't look at him. "It's not worth it, none of this is worth that."

Buzz spoke up, "Maybe we should call up Sheriff Andy, let him get an investigation opened up. They can probably get at least some sort of restraining order or something."

Woody shook his head, "Based on what? He has never actually threatened me, and there is no solid basis to suppose he had anything to do with what happened last night, at least as far as Andy would be able to uncover. No, Buzz, he wins. End of story."

"Like hell he does," Jessie's voice was hard. Her green eyes met her brother's, steely with resolve, "He will _not_ get this land."

"C'mon, Jessie. You could have _died_! D'you know how terrified I was last night that I was going to lose you? And for what? My stubborn family _pride_?" he practically spit out the last two words.

Jessie stood up so swiftly, Buzz almost spilled his coffee, "Woody James Pride, you listen to me. He will not get his hands on any piece of this land. My name's on this place, too, in case you've forgotten. And you talk about family pride as if it's a bad thing? _We_ are the family Pride, you and I. And I'll be damned if I see this place sold to that…that man, just so he can settle some stupid long-dead score. If you so much as say one word to him, I swear I will tear you apart with my own hands; don't think I won't."

Woody closed his eyes, rubbing his forehead with his hand, "I know, I know… I just don't know what to do, Jessie."

Jessie's face softened and she knelt by Woody, taking his hands in hers, "I'm sorry, it's been a rough night, I know. But please, Woody, don't give up so easily on this one. We'll think of something, we always do." She gave him a small smile, thinking of the scrapes they had been in yet always managed to find a way out. "What did Dad always tell us but that we should stick together?"

"She's right, Woody," Buzz chimed in. "Besides, it won't be just you two in this alone. You've got a friend in me and I'll do whatever you need. Bo?"

She nodded in agreement, "Me too; I'm not some porcelain doll to keep on a shelf. As long as you need me, I'm here." She smiled down at Woody, resting her hand softly on his cheek.

Woody smiled at the other three, "What would I do without you guys? Okay, let's figure out what we need to do."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note:** ok, reasonably satisfied with this chapter. And since I have been told that I put a certain song in someone's head in Chapter 8, updating was the least I could do ;) thanks to everyone who has read this far!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Jessie!" Andy called from his door, "Got a second?"

"For you, Sheriff? Always," she grinned, crossing the street.

"You just jaywalked, you know," he teased, holding the door open for her.

"Arrest me," she quipped. "What's up?"

Andy motioned to an empty chair in his office, "Have a seat. I'm still waiting on Sarge's report on the fire, but I wanted to check up with you guys. Have you or Woody had any more phone calls or visits?"

Jessie shook her head, "No, all's been quiet on the western front. It's kind of unnerving, to be honest with you. I think Woody thinks so, too."

He hummed, musing for a moment. "Peters has gone missing."

Her eyes widened, "What?"

"I know," he nodded. "There is no record of him buying a plane ticket, no scheduled business trip. His secretary says he always tells her when he'll be out of the office, even when it's last minute, but she hasn't heard from him. His car's at the house, but the house itself is empty."

Jessie frowned, playing with her braid, "So he has our barn torched and then turns tail and runs?"

"I'm not sure. It looks that way, but the state troopers seem to think otherwise; they're suspecting foul play, but won't elaborate."

"Foul play? But… by who?"

Andy shrugged, "Wish I knew. The 'associates' you both dealt with, I don't suppose they actually gave their names?"

She shook her head, "No, never."

He sighed, "I thought not, but it was worth asking. We may have heard the end of this, but do me a favor: keep your eyes and ears open and if there is any sign of trouble, call me. That goes for Woody, too." He stood to escort Jessie to the door.

"We will. Thanks, Sheriff."

* * *

Jessie fought to open the screen door into the kitchen, her arms laden with grocery bags. "Woody! A little help?" She felt bags being lifted from her arms and she set the rest on the counter. "Phew! Thanks. Hey, what d'ya say-" the words died on her lips as she looked up. Instead of Woody, there were three men standing in the kitchen: a tall, burly man, the young man she spoke to in the barn, and a shorter man she didn't recognize. Her eyes scanned the room, but she was cut off from either exit. She pressed her lips together as the burly man stepped forward.

"Hello, Miss Pride. I'm Irwin T. Lotso. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting," he drawled.

"I don't believe it's one now that we have," she answered shortly.

He chuckled, "Charming. Twitch, why don't you assist Miss Pride here to a chair? She looks rather pale."

The one named Twitch pushed Jessie roughly into one of the kitchen chairs, keeping a hand gripped on her shoulder. She glared at Lotso, "Where's Woody?"

"Oh, he'll be along shortly, I'm sure. Let us help you put these away. Once Mr. Pride is here, we can start our business negotiations."

Jessie let out a snort, "Business negotiations? Seems more like a hostile takeover." She watched as the two men put away the groceries, struck by how surreal the scene was. Her mind raced, _Woody should be home, but where is he? I've gotta find him before any of them do._

Lotso's voice broke into her thoughts, "There, now. Everything in its place." As he passed by, a sweet smell wafted to Jessie's nose. Her eyes went wide as she remembered that smell; she smelled it just before the fire, just before she was rendered unconscious. Sudden rage coursed through her veins and, without a thought, she launched herself from the chair, knocking Lotso to the floor. She succeeded in landing several strong blows before Twitch and Stretch pulled her away, slamming her against the wall.

Lotso wiped his fingers on his lips and looked at the smear of blood left behind. His eyes were dark as he stared at Jessie, getting to his feet. He grabbed her face in his hand, "Now that wasn't very polite, was it?"

Her own eyes flashed with anger, "No worse than you setting fire to our barn and leaving me for dead."

He chuckled, releasing her face, "Tell me, Jessie, how is your little fear of the dark? Stretch, why don't you escort her to the little storm cellar around back. I think this young lady needs some time to rethink her priorities."

Jessie was half-dragged outside. She could see Bullseye, fully saddled and prancing nervously by the fence. As hard as she tried, she could not break from Stretch's grasp and was shoved down the few stairs that led to the cellar. As the doors slammed shut above her, she slid down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. "Deep breaths, Jess, you gotta think," she murmured, trying to swallow the panic she felt rising in her throat. A voice from the darkness made her jump.

"Jess?" a light flickered from the back of the cellar. The small battery-powered lamp illuminated Woody's face.

"Woody?" Jessie pushed herself to her feet. "But…I thought…"

He had crossed to her, grabbing her in a reassuring hug, "They don't know I am here. I was up taking care of the cows when I saw them show up and go in the house. I had Bullseye all saddled and ready to go get Andy when I saw you get home. After that, I snuck down to the house and hid down here."

"You idiot," she said, half-scolding as she returned the hug not ungratefully. "Why didn't you still go for help? I can hold my own, you know that."

He tapped his fingers under her chin, "Stick together, remember? Besides…three against one? I didn't like those odds. Any of them Peters?"

Jessie shook her head and filled Woody in on what she learned from Andy that afternoon. "The big one, that's Irwin Lotso. There's Stretch, and I think the other one is called Twitch. You'd think they could come up with better nicknames, honestly. But they're all 'associates', at least all but Lotso. He seems to be running this show. He's…he's the one who set fire to the barn."

"What?" Woody hissed. "You sure?" She nodded, explaining the cologne. When she confessed to attacking him, Woody let out a low whistle, "You have guts, Jess. Don't be reckless, though." They both sat in thoughtful silence for a while, the muffled noises from the house filtering through the cellar ceiling. He finally spoke, "Okay, I have an idea."

Jessie smiled somewhat, "You usually do."

Woody ran his hand through his hair, "They don't know I am here, so when Lotso or whoever comes back for you, I should be able to leave and go get help." He paused, looking at his sister with concern all over his face, "You sure you'll be all right? I won't leave if you think you may need me at all."

She rested a hand on his forearm, "I'll be fine. We have to bring this to an end somehow."

"What're you going to do?"

She grinned, "Improvise, like always."

"Why does that _not_ reassure me? I may try sneaking into the house to get my Colt from the safe."

"How in the hell are you gonna manage that!"

It was his turn to grin, "Same way I used to sneak in when I was out after curfew." His eyes turned serious, "I want you to promise me something."

Jessie nodded, "Of course."

He laid his hand over hers, "If you get the chance to run, take it, no matter what."

"Woody-"

"_Promise_ me, Jess."

She laid her hand over his, "Okay, okay, I promise. But only if you swear to do the same."

Woody nodded. Just then, there was scuffling, loud and lengthy, from the house above. He looked at Jessie, "I think that's our cue. Be careful."

Before Woody switched off the lantern, Jessie picked up a wrench from one of the shelves. She nodded to him, taking a deep breath before she was plunged back into the darkness.

The cellar doors opened, and the late afternoon light flooded down the stairs. "Oh Miss Pride, there's someone who wants to see you. Why don't you c'mon out?"

She tightened her grip on the wrench, "Why don't you come and get me, or are you afraid of the dark?"

Twitch came down the stairs and Jessie took advantage while his eyes were still adjusting to hit him. He faltered and she ran, taking the stairs two at a time. She made it outside, but so did he, and he grabbed her around the ankle, bringing her to the ground. She kicked back at him, but he pinned her to the ground, a malicious grin spreading across his face. "Maybe you and I should have some business negotiations of our own, hmm?"

Jessie clenched her teeth, "Sorry, but your asset is insufficient." She managed to bring her knee up to his groin, and he rolled off her, groaning in pain. She quickly got to her feet and turned to run, but Stretch was there, waiting.

He grabbed her, pinning her arm behind her back. "Stupid, girl. Get up, Twitch." He pushed Jessie into the house, shoving her into the living room.

She rubbed her wrist, glaring at Stretch, "Y'know, Irwin, your hospitality leaves everythin' to be desired." She turned to face forward, and her heart sank as she saw Buzz standing by the wall. Her gaze settled on Lotso as he rose and began to pace the room.

"You see, Mr. Lightyear? She is just fine. Now I have to figure out what to do with you; you're hardly necessary." He paused, hearing Jessie's sharp intake of breath. "Or maybe not quite. Besides, it would be ungentlemanly of me to mistreat you. And I am, above all else, a gentleman."

Jessie crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah, you're a big teddy bear," she muttered.

Lotso grabbed her chin, "I grow weary of your impertinent attitude, Miss Pride."

She jerked her head free, "Feelin's mutual. You can leave, now."

"I have not yet spoken with your brother. Tell me, where is he?"

She shrugged, "Beats me. If you recall, I thought he was home when I got here. Tell me," she adopted his tone, "Does Peters pay you well since you do all of his dirty work for him?"

"Mr. Peters is no longer involved in this transaction," Lotso resumed his pacing.

Jessie tilted her head, "And why would that be? He seemed so very eager to get his hands on this place; seems kind of strange he would suddenly be so willing to _miss_ his chance." She placed careful emphasis as she spoke, watching him for any reaction.

"Mr. Peters decided this was no longer worth his time or efforts."

"And yet it's worth yours. Why?"

"You ask a great deal of questions, Miss Pride."

She raised an eyebrow, "Well I am a part of these, what did you call them earlier? Ah, yes. Business negotiations. Humor me." She ignored the warning look in Buzz's eyes.

"Very well. The amount of interest Peters had in this place piqued my curiosity, as did his lack of purpose in obtaining it. I found his values to no longer be what they were."

"Meaning they don't match yours, what few you do have. I'm curious, what does Mr. Peters think of your piqued interest in something he prized so highly?"

Lotso's eyes had yet to meet Jessie's and he maintained his slow shuffle in front of her. "He's seen fit to distance himself from me," he said with a low growl.

Understanding clicked in Jessie's head, "He dismissed you." She saw Lotso's head jerk in her direction slightly before he caught himself. "This has nothing to do with Woody or me or even this land. You're only doing this because you want him to see you got what he couldn't. You want revenge on him because he replaced you with some monkey in a suit."

Lotso turned and struck Jessie with such force she fell hard to the floor with a grunt of pain. He took a deep breath, "Get her out of my sight." He could see Buzz struggling with Stretch out of the corner of his eye. "Both of them."

* * *

**Author's note:** dun dun dunnnnn LOL What happened to Peters? Will Woody be able to get help? Are our heroes doomed to "bear" the brunt of Lotso's deranged whims? Stay tuned for the next chapter! (sorry, couldn't resist)


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Jessie felt the cold of the concrete cellar floor beneath her. She was still reeling from Lotso's blow, her left cheek throbbed in pain. She heard the doors shut and welcomed the dark, letting out a slow, shaky breath.

"Jessie?" Buzz's voice was flooded with worry.

"I'm fine," she grimaced, pushing herself to a seated position. She could tell where he was by the glow-in-the-dark face of his watch. "I can't tell you how almost sorry I am to see you."

He let out a short, humorless laugh, "Gee, thanks. What the hell were you doing up there?"

She groaned, standing. "Diversionary tactics," she said dismissively. "Hang on a sec, and shield your eyes." She gingerly moved to the bench where the lantern set, switching it on, blinking in the light. "Storm cellar," she offered as explanation to the confusion on Buzz's face. She looked around, but saw no sign of Woody. Her eyes fell on a hastily written note under the lantern: _Going ahead with the plan. Be safe and remember your promise. Love you sis. –Woody_

"What does he mean, 'remember your promise'?" Buzz read over her shoulder.

"He made me promise that if I could escape, I would. I made him promise the same."

He tilted her face so she looked at him, "And do you actually intend to keep that promise?"

She shrugged. "No more than he does. I hope he's all right," she sighed, gingerly pressing her fingers to her injured cheek.

Buzz frowned, "There a first aid kit down here?" He followed Jessie's directions and rummaged through the white case until he found an instant cold compress. "Sit," he ordered, kneeling down opposite her. He activated the compress and gently pressed it to her cheek, but she flinched away. Buzz cupped his hand around her right cheek, holding her head in place as he placed the compress against her face.

Jessie winced at the pain the cold aggravated, but held still. They sat in a long silence; Buzz would not look at her, but she could still see the worry in his eyes. She placed her hand over his, feeling the strength in his fingers.

"What were you thinking, Jessie?" his soft voice held a tone of reproach.

"I told you, diversion. Woody needed time to get out of here, and…I was willing to do whatever I needed to so that Lotso didn't have time to think on whether you were unnecessary."

"Dammit, Jess, there's bravado, but what you did was downright reckless!"

Green eyes locked with blue. "I'm not sorry," she whispered defiantly.

"Just – I don't want you to take stupid risks; not for me." His voice was filled with emotion.

Jessie squeezed his hand, "If not for you, then who? You've taken stupid risks for me, the least you could do is allow me to return the favor."

Buzz let the compress fall to the floor as he pulled her close in a kiss. Jessie returned the kiss, both offering and receiving reassurance through it. He shifted on the floor, leaning his back against the wall, and pulling her against him. "So what's this plan of Woody's, anyway? And how was he here?"

She leaned her head against his shoulder, telling him everything that happened, from her talk with Andy, up until she saw him. "So now I guess we are stuck waiting."

"Do you think Lotso was telling the truth, that Peters is no longer interested?"

"I don't know. Andy told me Peters in M.I.A. and state troopers suspect it's not because of business." She was silent for a while, playing with her fingers. "Buzz, what're we gonna do?"

His mouth was drawn into a thoughtful frown; he hadn't stopped asking himself the same question. All he wanted was to get her out safely. The fury he felt watching as Lotso hit her had cooled, but he had no intention of seeing that happen again. If Woody had gone for help, he would have taken Bullseye, Buzz reasoned, since he was the fastest of the horses. He didn't know if any of the other horses were even saddled, much less if any would be fearless enough to carry either of them if something happened. He let out a frustrated sigh; years of training and his mind was empty. Jessie stood to stretch her legs while he thought. A few minutes passed before he spoke, "If I can distract them enough, you could get the chance to run-"

"No." Jessie cut him off.

"Jessie, you promised Woody."

"Not at your expense, I didn't! If I'm gone, how long d'ya think you'll last? They may let you live long enough to beat the tar outta ya. No, Buzz," she crouched down before him, looking him in the eyes, "Whatever we decide to do, we do it together or not at all."

He looked at her, "And what if they get to you and I can't stop them? What if one of them tries to…" the thought was so horrible to him, he shuddered, unable to finish it.

Jessie pressed her hand against him arm, "That won't happen."

"How do you know?"

She sighed, "I don't, okay? What I do know is that if we are so afraid of what might happen, we will miss our chance to actually do something."

He nodded, covering her hand with his, "I'm just trying not to put you in any more danger."

She tossed her braid and gave him an impish smile, "Danger? I laugh in the face of danger." Hearing his chuckle made her feel better. "You're the military expert, what's the battle plan?"

Before Buzz could say anything, they heard the sound of the cellar doors being unlocked slowly. Jessie crept warily towards them, wondering why it was taking so long. Buzz was on his feet quickly and pushed Jessie against the wall, standing between her and the doors as they cracked open. A familiar face poked through in and Buzz blinked in surprise, "Woody?"

"Woody!?" Jessie pushed past Buzz's arm.

The cowboy sighed with relief, "Oh, good, you're both here. C'mon and be quick about it."

Buzz ushered Jessie up the cellar stairs before him. In the fading evening light, Woody caught sight of the bruise on her cheek. "Oh, Jess…" he breathed.

"I'm fine, don't fuss." She gave him a gentle smile to soften the reprimand.

Buzz looked at Woody, "What's the next move?"

"We're getting the hell out of here."

"I'm afraid not." The trio spun around to see Lotso standing on the back porch. "Mr. Pride, at last. I have been waiting for you for quite some time now, and we have business to discuss. Naturally, your sister and Mr. Lightyear are invited to join us."

Jessie swallowed hard and felt Buzz grab her hand. She didn't take her eyes off of Lotso as Woody took a step forward, "No, we don't; it's over. Peters, or what was left of him, has been found. The Sheriff and state troopers will be here any minute."

"Then we don't have time to waste," Lotso nodded.

Things happened so fast, Jessie could not process it all. She heard Bullseye's distressed whinny and turned to see Twitch advancing on the horse with something gleaming in his hands. "NO!" she released Buzz's hand without a second thought, running towards her horse. She knew Buzz and Woody were involved in their own battles, but everything she had was focused on Bullseye. The horse reared up as Twitch swung his knife at him. Jessie ducked as the knife swung towards her, and she saw Twitch grin maniacally. She wanted to get him away from Bullseye, but the horse kept moving between her and their attacker. _If I could just get him behind Bullseye,_ she thought. She feigned towards the horse's flank, glad to see Twitch making the same move. Jessie quickly swung up into the stirrup, leaving the man completely exposed to the back of the horse. Bullseye needed no direction from her, kicking his back legs out, hitting Twitch squarely in the chest. He stumbled backwards, the knife falling from his hand. Jessie meanwhile got situated into the saddle, and turned Bullseye around. The horse reared, his front legs lashing out towards the man as he flailed back against the wooden fence. Bullseye's front hoof struck him, and Twitch fell to the ground, out cold. The horse lifted him, clenching the fabric of Twitch's shirt in his teeth. Jessie held the reins as the horse trotted to the open cellar doors. With a shake of his head, he sent Twitch tumbling into the cellar. Jessie quickly dismounted, shutting and locking the doors. "Let's see how you like it down there," she murmured, caressing Bullseye's snout. She turned to the others as the sound of sirens reached her ears. Lotso's eyes narrowed and he pushed past Woody, running towards the pastures. "No, Woody, wait!" Jessie's call fell on deaf ears as her brother followed after. Jessie took a step in the direction Woody had run, but then ducked as a bullet flew past her head.

She whirled around and saw Stretch, pistol in hand, struggling with Buzz. Her heart froze for an instant and Buzz looked at her. "Jessie, run!" he yelled. She stood, rooted as she watched Stretch getting the pistol turned in Buzz's direction. His words still ringing in her ears, she broke into a sprint. She dropped her shoulder, slamming into Stretch, ripping him from Buzz's grasp and sending them both tumbling to the ground. She rolled and pushed herself to her knees, coming face to face with the end of Stretch's pistol. She looked up at him, her eyes hard.

He smirked, "That's the second stupid mistake you've made tonight, girl. It'll be your last."

"No, yours." She watched as Stretch fell to the ground, rendered unconscious by Buzz.

He pulled her to her feet, "I told you to run." He couldn't keep the relief from his voice, even as he tried to sound stern.

Her lips twitched in a smile, "You didn't say which way." The sirens were louder now, and Jessie could see the flashing lights heading down their lane. She could see a retort forming on Buzz's lips when a shot from the back pasture rang out. Jessie looked in that direction, then back at Buzz, her eyes wide and her breathing short with terror.

He gave her a shove, "Go on. I'll make sure it's secure here for Andy and then I'll be right behind you. Go!"

Jessie gripped his arm for the briefest moment before running in the same direction Woody had gone a few moments before. Her heart was pounding, _Please, Woody, please be okay_. She reached the top of the gentle hill that was the pasture and stopped short; Lotso was pointing Woody's revolver directly at her.

"That's far enough, Miss Pride."

Jessie was still several feet from Woody. In the twilight she could see him gripping his left bicep, a small stream of blood dripping from his fingers. He stood a few yards away from Lotso, just as she did. She knew that they were too far apart to help each other, and too close to avoid a direct shot.

"Well, Woody, what shall it be? Maybe I should kill your sister, letting you watch as she dies slowly and painfully. Is your pride able to withstand that?" Jessie's eyes were wide as she looked at Woody, her heart pounding. He kept his eyes on Lotso as the revolver was aimed at him. "Or perhaps I should kill you and let her live. She's quite the little spitfire, and I'm sure I would find her _amusing_."

Jessie saw Woody's jaw clench and she shuddered at the insinuation in Lotso's words. She swallowed, "Or you could shoot yourself and do us all the favor."

Lotso chuckled, "Thank you, Jessie, I do believe you just volunteered."

She stiffened as the gun was pointed directly at her chest, knowing there would be no avoiding this fate.

"Lotso, wait!" Woody's voice rang with desperation. "You've gotta be crazy, going after me, my family, this place… all for a vendetta that wasn't even your own? So Peters replaced you, so what? Killing us, getting your name on the deed… that's not going to change any of it!"

The man chuckled, "You just need to see things my way, Woody. Have you ever had everything, your entire life, your security, just ripped away from you? No, no, you wouldn't know anything about that. Well, not yet, anyway. You see, this land, or more specifically, the oil underneath it…that's what I want. With that resource, my financial status will be secured and I will show everyone who ever thought I was nothing more than a piece of trash, waiting to just be thrown away; I will show them just how wrong they were."

Woody stared at the man, "How far are you willing to go, huh? How much blood are you willing to get on your hands before it's finally enough? You're destroying yourself as you destroy others… is it really worth that much to you?"

Lotso tilted his head as if in thought. He cocked the gun at Woody, "Yes."

A shot was fired, Woody flinched, and Jessie screamed, covering her mouth with her hands. Heedless of Lotso's next move, she ran to Woody, her eyes examining him. She looked up at him in a mixture of abject terror and confusion as there was no sign of blood. They both looked at Lotso as he raised the gun shakily towards them, a small rivulet of blood at the corner of his mouth. Woody put his arm in front of Jessie, ready to shield her, but the shot never came. Blood began soaking through the front of Lotso's shirt and he fell to the ground, his lifeless eyes staring into space.

Jessie and Woody looked up and saw Andy standing several feet behind where Lotso had been, a shotgun in his hand. Jessie leaned her forehead on Woody's shoulder, letting out a shaky breath as he reached up and squeezed her hand. Andy walked over to Lotso's body, nudging it with his foot. He looked at the siblings, "You two all right?"

Woody nodded, his heart still pounding.

"Woody!" Bo appeared, running up to Woody. Jessie stepped back as Bo wrapped her arms around the cowboy's neck.

He wrapped his uninjured arm around her, "I'm okay, Bo. I'm okay. When did you-?"

"Sorry, Woody, I tried to keep her at the station, but she would have none of it." Andy smiled, "Your girl packs one hell of a punch, though, you'd be proud to know. One of the thugs back at the house tried to get fresh and she laid him out."

Jessie looked between Bo and Andy, "Where's Buzz?"

"Right behind you, just like I said I'd be."

She turned and wrapped her arms around his waist, half-sobbing half-sighing in relief. She felt his arms across her back as he held her in a tight embrace, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Andy spoke softly into his walkie-talkie. He looked at Woody and Jessie, "Ambulance is on its way," he nodded towards Woody's injured arm. "I'm sure the officers back at the house want to talk to you all. "

Woody nodded, "Let's get this over with."

* * *

Jessie thanked the officer and crept out to the back porch. Buzz and Bo were both still talking things over with Andy and one of the state troopers. As she shut the screen door, she saw Woody leaning over the railing. She slipped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, "Hey."

"Hey, yourself," he slid a hand over hers.

"Your arm?"

He shook his head, "Just grazed, should be healed up soon. Not quite like our childhood adventures, huh?"

Jessie exhaled softly, moving to stand beside her brother, "I think I prefer One-Eyed Bart. At least it's all over, now."

Woody nodded, his eyes running over the pastures of his family's ranch, just barely visible in the moonlight. He was surprised by the intense desire to get back to working the fields, the cattle, and the horses. After everything that happened, he wanted nothing more than to feel the dirt on his hands, to remind himself of the Pride legacy he and Jessie shared. His eyes went wide as a chuckle escaped his lips.

Jessie looked at him, "What on earth could be funny?"

He looked down at his sister, his lips stretching into a grin, "I don't know what made me think of it, but I think this is the first time the Sheriff ever actually saved the day."

She let out a giggle, covering her mouth as if she just made a horrible faux pas. Once the initial mirth had escaped, it overpowered them and soon the sound of their laughter echoed in the night air.

Buzz came out to the back porch and found Woody hunched over the railing, and Jessie sitting on the porch, leaning up against the wooden banister. The sound of their laughter made him smile, "Wanna share the joke? I could use a good laugh after today."

Woody filled him in between chuckles, Jessie still too helpless to speak. Buzz grinned, and shook his head, pulling Jessie up to her feet, "You two. You're nuts." He kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Andy and the rest are heading out; Bo was showing them out the front door a few minutes ago."

As if on cue, she joined them, tucking herself under Woody's outstretched arm, "Need anything?"

Woody shook his head, pressing his lips to her temple, "Nope, I have everything I need right here." His brown eyes took in his sister and friend, including them in the sentiment.

"So when do you want to start on the new barn?" Buzz jerked his chin towards the space where the old barn once stood.

"New barn?"

"You are going to need one, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Well okay, then," Buzz smiled. "It'll go faster with two people."

"Three." Jessie and Bo looked at each other, speaking the word at the same time.

Jessie chuckled, "Ok, four. Besides, you two can't get married here at the house without us having a barn. Where will you dance?"

Woody looked at the other three, a mixture of surprise and gratitude crossing his face. He swallowed the lump in his throat, "You guys. I'm proud to have you." He looked at Jessie, smiling at the play on words. "Let's talk about it in the morning. I think I have had enough adventure for one night."


End file.
